Kyrgyzstan to Grant Special Protected Status to Glaciers and Snowfields

Kyrgyzstan is moving to officially protect its glaciers and snowfields by granting them special protected status, a measure unprecedented in the country. The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision has introduced a draft resolution for public discussion that will establish the procedure for designating these icy bodies as specially protected natural territories.

This project addresses a legal gap, as current legislation allows for such protection but lacks a concrete mechanism for implementation. The new regulation will enable the formal safeguarding of glaciers and snowfields deemed strategically vital for the nation's water resources. According to the draft, the cabinet of ministers will be responsible for assigning this status.

Government bodies, local authorities, scientific institutions, and environmental organizations can initiate the protection process. This requires preparing scientific justifications, defining the boundaries of the protected area, securing necessary approvals, and conducting environmental assessments if needed. Once designated, most economic activities will be prohibited within these protected zones.

Exceptions will be made only for scientific research, monitoring, safety operations, and limited, regulated tourism. Activities such as mineral exploration and extraction, construction of permanent facilities, pollution, altering hydrological regimes, and any actions that could accelerate ice melt or degrade the glaciers will be forbidden. The project also mandates the creation of detailed passports for each protected glacier or snowfield, documenting its area, volume, coordinates, condition, threats, and monitoring results. The Ministry believes this will significantly enhance the protection of glaciers, which are crucial sources of fresh water and key to the stability of Kyrgyzstan's mountain ecosystems.