Kyrgyz authorities strengthen skills in strategic environmental assessment at OSCE workshop

More than 20 representatives from Kyrgyzstan's environmental, health, academic, civil society and sectoral planning institutions learned about Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) at a training workshop in Bishkek organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities in close co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek from 6 to 7 November.

SEA is a key tool for integrating environmental and health considerations into strategic planning and for ensuring transparent, forward-looking decision-making. The workshop helped participants to deepen their understanding of the SEA Protocol under the Espoo Convention, as well as the current status of SEA system development in the country.

The first day brought together environmental and health authorities, civil society specialists, EIA experts and academics. They explored the roles of key institutions in the SEA process, practiced identifying when draft strategic documents require SEA, and reviewed regional examples from Europe and Central Asia that demonstrated how SEA supports sustainable development.

The second day focused on sectoral planning authorities, whose role is central to applying SEA in sectors such as energy, transport, water and regional development. Through discussions and group exercises, participants examined how SEA can enhance the quality, inclusiveness and long-term impact of strategic planning.

"Strategic Environmental Assessment helps us plan development in a way that takes environmental and social impacts into account. It makes decision-making more transparent and sustainable. I am confident that our exchange of knowledge and experience will be an important step toward a more responsible approach to planning in Kyrgyzstan," said Meer Kulumbaev, Head of the State Environmental Expertise Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The training workshop was part of the OSCE project, "Strengthening National and Regional Capacities and Co-operation on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Central Asia - Phase II". The project is funded by the Advisory Assistance Programme of the German Federal Environment Ministry, under the supervision of the German Environment Agency.