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Society

Kyrgyzstan’s Special Services Take On The Drug Mafia

The head of Kyrgyzstan's National Security Service, Kamchybek Tashiyev, has commented that unless it is curbed, the country's already highly complex drug situation is likely to be beyond control within ten years. Speaking at a meeting with heads of Kyrgyzstan's police departments, Tashiyev said that the number of both drug distributers and drug users has soared recently, largely among people under 25, and growing drug abuse threatens to reduce the contribution that young Kyrgyz can make to the country. In a move to combat the problem, when evaluating the work of law enforcement agencies, their success in stopping drug trafficking will be factored in. Tashiyev admitted that 12 law enforcement officers have been found to have links to the drug mafia in the past year alone. According to operational data, drug traffickers have flourished in the online space, using modern technology -- even payment goes through electronic wallets. Tashiyev added: "Drugs which used to be [farmed] have now been replaced by synthetic drugs, and the number of laboratories manufacturing these drugs has increased. Substances are sourced from abroad and the drugs are then manufactured in our country." "If the drug situation in the country remains at the same level as it is now, our society will face a big problem in ten years at most. Therefore, all law enforcement agencies must begin a ruthless fight against those who distribute drugs. All measures within the law will be applied to such persons," Tashiyev emphasized. He demanded special control over schools, universities, nightclubs and cafes. Kyrgyzstan is considered a transit country for illegal drugs because of its close proximity to Afghanistan. The estimated number of people who use substances on a regular basis has reached 50,000.

Society

Drug Dealing in Kazakhstan Continues to Gain Momentum

Over the past six years the volume of seized synthetic drugs in Kazakhstan has almost doubled, Finprom.kz reports. In 2023 law enforcement agencies in Kazakhstan interdicted and confiscated 41.1 tons of illicit substances, up from 20.3 tons in 2018. In 2023 the number of drug laboratories destroyed increased to 75 from 68, and Kazakhstani officials called the increase in the distribution of banned substances an outbreak of drug trafficking. Because of the increase in drug usage, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has said that new types of synthetics will be included in the national list of narcotic drugs before they are brought into Kazakhstan. As soon as the drugs are on the national list, they'll immediately be registered on Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and UN International Committee lists. Until 2019 in Kazakhstan, the procedure for inclusion of new drugs in the national list took about a year -- now it takes no more than a month. Over the past few years in Kazakhstan, the volume of seizures of all sorts of so-called "salts," "ecstasy" and various synthetic cannabinoids has increased 143.4 times -- rising to 1.1 tons from 7.7 kilograms. At the same time, the share of synthetics out of the total number of confiscated drugs in 2023 was insignificant, at 2.7 percent. It's difficult to obtain accurate data on the market volume of modern illicit substances -- often because new types of drugs are distributed mainly among young people through messenger apps and crypto-wallets, with the use of bots for publishing advertisements. According to the Interior Ministry, more than 3,000 different drug-dealing sites and 1,300 online stores on encrypted messaging app Telegram were blocked by Kazakhstan last year. Finprom.kz analysts report that they themselves managed to independently find several such channels operating in the country. At the end of 2023, Kazakhstani Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov named some of the main barriers in the fight against the spread of synthetic drugs. He said the issue is complicated by the fact that the drugs are made in clandestine labs in the country from substances that are not considered illegal in Kazakhstan -- and can only legally be brought to the attention of police after they are used to make a drug. Last year the Ministry of Internal Affairs seized more than 100 tons of these ingredients -- which could have turned into eight tons of finished drugs. Therefore, the Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes increasing criminal liability for trafficking in precursor chemicals. Today the country punishes only the smuggling of these substances. According to the Prosecutor General's Office of Kazakhstan, last year drug crime in the country increased by 9%. In 2023, 7,500 drug crimes and criminal offenses were recorded. The police detained about 4,500 people, including minors, on suspicion of distribution, manufacture or sale of illegal substances.

Society

Uzbekistan’s Poverty Rate Decreased by Half Over 20 Years, Says UN Report

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has published a report detailing Uzbekistan’s 2023 poverty index, and it indicates that roughly 4.2 million Uzbek citizens are estimated to be living in poverty. The UNDP used 34 indicators to serve as the statistical basis for the report. Factors include the socioeconomic standing and stratification of the population, as well as the capacity of citizens to exercise their rights, and the opportunities afforded to them. Information about education level (13.7%), food security (11.7%) and employment in the informal sector (11.5%) played an important roles in calculating the poverty index. The UN report states that the Republic of Karakalpakstan (29.9%), the Namangan region (27.5%), and the Tashkent region (26.5%) have the highest percentages of impoverished people. As measured by citizens' income, social security availability, and fuel resource scarcity, these regions perform somewhat worse than the other regions. Uzbekistan’s accomplishments in decreasing poverty and its plans for the future are also discussed. The UNDP claims that the nation’s reforms over the past 20 years have resulted in a drop in the poverty rate to 11.5 percent in 2022 from 24 percent in 2000. Due to government efforts, 2.2 million people have been lifted out of poverty in the first two decades of the 21st century. The report highlights Uzbekistan’s objectives of attaining a world-average income level by 2030, and cutting poverty by half by 2026. The report expresses confidence in the solid foundations of Uzbekistan’s plan to eradicate poverty by 2030. A key detail is that Uzbekistan is trying to make sure that development is moderate -- thereby keeping prices growing more slowly -- and this is thought to be one of the most important elements in the battle against poverty.

Society

Most of Kazakhstan Changes Time Zone

From March 1st the whole of Kazakhstan will be on the time zone UTC+5. Currently only the country's western regions are in the UTC+5 zone, with the rest of Kazakhstan set an hour later at UTC +6. This means that at midnight on 29 February the central, eastern and southern parts of Kazakhstan will move an hour back. Kazakhstani scientists have claimed that the UTC +6 time zone has had a negative effect on people's biological rhythms and health, as it does not correspond to natural solar time in the country. They believe that the establishment of a single time zone will have a positive impact on people's wellbeing. The clock change will also eliminate time barriers between different regions, and simplify the running of transport and other communications. This in turn will benefit business, government work and emergency services. This switch, however, has had a mixed reception. Some people are unhappy that the reduction in daylight hours will increase their electricity bills, while others are worried that lighter mornings will affect their sleep.

Water Management Society Access to Clean Water

Water Crisis in Uzbekistan: an interview with Eco-journalist Nargis Kosimova

For a long time now, there have been murmurs about the growing problem of water shortages in Uzbekistan. Every citizen is likely to remember, at the very least, public service announcements on television with calls to conserve water. Still, the issue began to really attract people’s attention after the last, rather unexpected hike in cold tariffs. Was this an indication of the situation deteriorating? What is going on with water resources, and what should we expect moving forward? To find out, we talked to Nargis Kosimova, an eco-journalist, teacher, media trainer, and doctor of philology, who has come to fame as the author of Ekolog.uz. What is the current situation with drinking water in Uzbekistan? The problem with water resources is particularly serious in Uzbekistan, now. Experts say that by 2030, the water deficit could reach 7 billion cubic meters, and this could double by 2050. Unfortunately, the climate is changing at a rapid pace. Our key rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya have seen their discharge decline 20% in just 50 years. Currently, we are also seeing dust storms and droughts, which are exacerbating the problem of water scarcity. The result may be a rise in the cost of fresh water and, consequently, food prices, with the entire economy of the country affected in turn. For example, over the past 15 years, the amount of water used per person in Uzbekistan has roughly halved from 3,000 cubic meters in 2008 to 1,500 cubic meters by the end of 2022. Nevertheless, water consumption per capita is still very high. for example, in Germany each person uses just 312 cubic meters of water each year, meaning that even though they have plentiful resources, Germans conserve a lot of water. Last year, we conducted a training session which was attended by 60 farmers. Unfortunately, not one of them, as they told us, had switched to water-saving technologies. when asked why not, they gave a wide range of answers, from a lack of money to the phrase, “Why [should we] if there is still water?” What measures can be taken to help avoid a water crisis? Many experts highlight drip irrigation as an effective way to rationally utilize resources. Even the Ministry of Water Resources noted that switching to this system would significantly reduce the stress on the country’s reserves. and at the same time, yields would increase significantly. Increasing prices on drinking water can also help avoid a crisis situation, while control over water usage should also be strengthened. A 100% transition to water-saving technologies in agriculture is needed, as well as protecting rivers from erosion. In Uzbekistan, starting on May 1st, an indefinite moratorium on the extraction of ore from the beds of large rivers will come into effect. Increasing construction and urbanization have led to almost uncontrolled extraction of sand and gravel, as a result of which riverbeds have been nearly degraded and the water has practically disappeared from these rivers. Moreover, it is not just water that...

Society Water Management Access to Clean Water

Potential Water Crisis in Uzbekistan: An Interview with Eco-journalist Nargis Kosimova

For a long time now, there have been murmurs about the growing problem of water shortages in Uzbekistan. Every citizen is likely to remember, at the very least, public service announcements on television with calls to conserve water. Still, the issue began to really attract people’s attention after the last, rather unexpected hike in cold tariffs. Was this an indication of the situation deteriorating? What is going on with water resources, and what should we expect moving forward? To find out, we talked to Nargis Kosimova, an eco-journalist, teacher, media trainer, and doctor of philology, who has come to fame as the author of Ekolog.uz. What is the current situation with drinking water in Uzbekistan? The problem with water resources is particularly serious in Uzbekistan, now. Experts say that by 2030, the water deficit could reach 7 billion cubic meters, and this could double by 2050. Unfortunately, the climate is changing at a rapid pace. Our key rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, have seen their discharge decline 20% in just 50 years. Currently, we are also seeing dust storms and droughts, which are exacerbating the problem of water scarcity. The result may be a rise in the cost of fresh water and, consequently, food prices, with the entire economy of the country affected in turn. For example, over the past 15 years, the amount of water used per person in Uzbekistan has roughly halved from 3,000 cubic meters in 2008 to 1,500 cubic meters by the end of 2022. Nevertheless, water consumption per capita is still very high. For example, in Germany each person uses just 312 cubic meters of water each year, meaning that even though they have plentiful resources, Germans conserve a lot of water. Last year, we conducted a training session which was attended by 60 farmers. Unfortunately, not one of them, as they told us, had switched to water-saving technologies. When asked why not, they gave a wide range of answers, from a lack of money to the phrase, “why [should we] if there is still water?” What measures can be taken to help avoid a water crisis? Many experts highlight drip irrigation as an effective way to rationally utilize resources. Even the Ministry of Water Resources noted that switching to this system would significantly reduce the stress on the country’s reserves. And at the same time, yields would increase significantly. Increasing prices on drinking water can also help avoid a crisis situation, while control over water usage should also be strengthened. A 100% transition to water-saving technologies in agriculture is needed, as well as protecting rivers from erosion. In Uzbekistan, starting on May 1st, an indefinite moratorium on the extraction of ore from the beds of large rivers will come into effect. Increasing construction and urbanization has led to almost uncontrolled extraction of sand and gravel, as a result of which riverbeds have been nearly degraded and the water has practically disappeared from these rivers. Moreover, it is not just water that has...