Kyrgyzstan Plans to Expand Protected Natural Areas
Kyrgyzstan plans to expand its protected natural areas under a draft strategy for 2026–2035. The expansion would bring additional high-altitude glaciers, rocky mountain areas, and state forest lands under protection. The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision released the document for public consultation on October 26. An accompanying explanatory note proposes increasing protected land from 11.8% of the country’s territory to 20% by 2030 and 30% by 2035. However, another section of the strategy sets 2030 as the deadline for reaching 30%, leaving the intended timetable unclear. Kyrgyzstan’s protected natural areas currently cover approximately 2.36 million hectares. The increase in protected land in recent years partly reflects the creation of ecological corridors linking protected areas, including the 792,000-hectare Ak Ilbirs corridor in 2025. Under the proposal, the expansion would take place without removing productive pastures from agricultural use. Traditional livestock grazing by local residents would continue to be permitted in buffer zones. The country has ten state nature reserves covering a total of 509,900 hectares and 13 national nature parks spanning 724,900 hectares. The draft strategy calls for upgrading their infrastructure, introducing digital monitoring and recordkeeping systems, and improving training and equipment for park rangers. Other priorities include combating poaching and protecting mountain wildlife, including snow leopards and Tien Shan brown bears, as well as ancient walnut forests and glaciers. Private investors would be allowed to develop tourism facilities in designated recreational zones within national parks. However, the draft would prohibit transferring protected land into private ownership and constructing permanent buildings. The authorities also propose introducing cashless payments for admission tickets to reduce unrecorded revenue. Residents of nearby communities would have opportunities to earn income through guesthouses and other small tourism businesses. The strategy’s authors acknowledge the risk of ecosystem degradation from growing tourist numbers. The document specifically identifies the popular Ala-Archa, Karakol, Chon-Kemin, and Kyrgyz-Ata parks as areas of concern. It proposes limits on visitor numbers along popular routes to reduce littering and damage to vegetation. The strategy would be financed through existing government allocations, income from park visitors, and international grants, with no additional budget spending required, according to its authors. Kyrgyzstan’s nature reserves and national parks received more than 271,000 visitors in 2025, an increase of nearly 24% from the previous year. Revenue from park visits more than doubled to $431,000.
