Vladimir Korotenko, PhD, Chairman of Ecological Movement "BIOM"

The countries of Central Asia (CA) are located in a single ecological space of the basins of the Aral and Caspian Seas, which do not have access to the World Ocean. Extensive use of natural resources, air, water and soil pollution reduce the favorable ecological space for life, limiting opportunities for "green" development, and have led to numerous problems that do not allow us to talk about an easy way to transition to Sustainable development (SD). A distinctive feature of Central Asia is the vulnerable nature of ecosystems.

Strengthening the natural frameworks of environmental safety is an essential element for ensuring the survival and sustainability of both the Central Asian region and the planet as a whole. Only Life creates conditions for Living! Natural ecological communities can be called "factories of Life", as they create and regulate the state of the environment.

Transition to sustainable development in the region is closely related to preservation of fundamentals of natural regulation of the environment. Further we will consider the features of transition to sustainable development, through the prism of one of the Central Asian countries - Kyrgyzstan. The recent history of Kyrgyz Republic (as well as other countries in the region) is marked by permanent reforms. In addition, the environmental conditions in the country have worsened over the past decade, largely due to the difficulties and risks of overcoming economic crises: overconsumption of natural resources is increasing - deforestation, poaching, extensive use of arable land, neglect of reclamation and preventive measures. It is a paradox that, despite all of this, the unique mountain landscapes, the purest water and air, natural zones, are still preserved in the republic due to the difficult accessibility, have economic value, and represent a special commodity of international importance, the price of which will increase. The Republic is one of the 200 priority ecological regions of the world.

One of consequences of inclusion of Kyrgyzstan in the world trade systems is an increase in environmental hazards for the country's population. Products and goods produced without taking into account environmental risks appear on the tables of consumers. For example, toxic dishes and toys are common in our markets. The situation with ensuring the population's access to clean drinking water has worsened, and chemical compounds that are dangerous for the environment and people are used in agriculture. Delaying the solution to these problems affects the health of the population, especially women and children, and threatens the well-being of future generations of Kyrgyzstanis.

In order to solve these and other problems radically, it is necessary to immediately implement actions in the following main directions:

- effective introduction and control of compliance with environmental requirements for import and production of food and essential goods;

- conducting environmental expertise of draft laws on the basis of "Standards for conducting specialized types of expertise";

- development of system for early warning of public about environmental risks, especially in the context of the development of the mining industry.

Kyrgyzstan, like other countries, is already entering an energy crisis, despite the fact that Kyrgyzstan has several powerful power plants built in the Soviet period. However, outstanding management problems did not allow for necessary modernization in a short time. For transition period and beyond, one of the effective ways to overcome the crisis and mitigate its consequences can be a strategy for energy conservation and efficient energy consumption in the country. In addition, development of the renewable energy market can also give its positive results.

For example, Kyrgyzstan has a significant potential for the sun's radiance, especially in mountainous regions, where the solar radiation index reaches 3,000 hours per annum. Solar energy can be widely used in local communities and become an alternative to cutting down forests and shrubs. In Central Asian countries, heating 1 sq. m of a room requires 5-6 times more energy than in European countries. Implementation of the transition to energy efficiency as the basis of sustainability is possible through the organization of the following actions: - introduction of energy efficiency requirements for buildings under construction in construction standards;

- development and implementation of state and municipal programs on energy efficiency and energy conservation at all levels;

- providing legislative framework for favorable tax climate for organizations developing renewable energy (solar, wind, biogas, micro¬HPP), for example, through incentive funds and tax incentives;

- support of scientific potential in development of new methods and approaches in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Organic (biosafe) agriculture and agro-processing can be considered as another cornerstone on the way to environmental sustainability for Kyrgyzstan. Half of the population of our country has its own land, there are more than 270,000 farms in the country, ranging from 2 hectares to 12 hectares of agricultural land. Despite of counterproductive factors - erosion, salinization, etc. - our country today has a huge potential for the production of "organic" products. We need modern "green" agro-and business technologies to increase productivity and sell our products to other countries.

In the conditions of Kyrgyzstan, maintaining the necessary level of diversity of living beings and communities is particularly acute due to the fact that high mountains with a predominance of steep slopes and surrounded by deserts cause extreme stress for them. This is why mountain ecosystems are so vulnerable and so difficult to recover from destruction, if recover at all.

Strengthening the natural frameworks of environmental safety is an essential element for ensuring the survival and sustainability of both Kyrgyzstan and the planet as a whole. In the conditions of Kyrgyzstan, maintaining the necessary level of diversity of living beings and communities is particularly acute due to the fact that high mountains with a predominance of steep slopes and surrounded by deserts cause extreme stress for them. This is why mountain ecosystems are so vulnerable and so difficult to recover from destruction, if recover at all. Kyrgyzstan is home to about 2 % of the world's flora and more than 3 % of the world's fauna. This is quite a lot, if we take into account that the country's area occupies only 0.03% of the planet's area, or 0.13% of the land area.

The reduction of natural ecosystems leads to a decrease in the sustainability of the environment and the deterioration of its vital qualities. The basic premise described by academician V. I. Vernadskiy, consists in the fact that no species of living organisms can exist exclusively only among their own kind. Life is possible only in communities - biocenoses and in a certain set of conditions that characterize their habitat. He assumed that biocenoses originated earlier than individual organisms and species. The biotical cycle only gradually differentiated, forming separate species. But it is difficult to imagine how a biocenosis can function without its components-heterogeneous components of the organismal and species levels. Life cannot exist outside of biocenoses and the biosphere. The scientist has repeatedly emphasized that although the carriers of geochemical energy - organisms-are discrete, together they represent a single whole that occupies a certain place in the geochemical and energy processes of the biosphere.

Thus, each species performs its own special functions and cannot be fully replaced by another. All socio-economic sectors of the country directly or indirectly depend on the state of biodiversity. First of all, it ensures the normal sanitary and hygienic state of the environment, on which the health of the population depends. In the agricultural sector, pastures that have retained their original set of species represent the greatest forage importance. In field-crop growing, horticulture, and forestry, the most sustainable and safe pest control measures involve the use of natural species that limit their numbers. Well-being of hunting and fishing industry directly depends on well-being of the objects of their activity. The same can be said about pharmacology using

wild medicinal plants. An inexhaustible source for genetic and breeding work is the variety of wild ancestors of cultivated plants and species that can be successfully introduced into the culture. Among them are walnuts, apple trees, pears, plums, apricots, pomegranates, grapes, raspberries, currants, tulips, onions, eremuruses, and other ornamental flowers and shrubs.

Due to high complexity and contrast of the geographical environment, there is a very high concentration of species in the country, there are two more species per unit area than the average for the planet and Central Asia. Mountain ecosystems play a significant role in soil formation, regulating runoff in the catchment area of river basins, protecting soils from erosion, cleaning up surface contaminations, preventing floods and mudslides, as well as landslides that cause great economic damage, amounting to millions of dollars, especially in the south of Kyrgyzstan, where the vegetation cover has been particularly severely destroyed. Due to their large area and role in formation of humus, mountain ecosystems can be a major sink for carbon dioxide, but only if they are preserved. Mountain diversity must be preserved!

As a result, wild communities in the lowland zones and intermountain basins of the country have practically disappeared or are half-destroyed, and the development of high-altitude pastures has led to the displacement of herbivorous and predatory species of animals and birds on agricultural land.

However, objective data on diagnosis of the environmental situation shows that the symptoms of global negative processes are clearly visible on the territory of Kyrgyzstan today, primarily related to the degradation of land resources, man-made pollution and reduction of biological diversity. Although the country's share in the annual global greenhouse gas emissions is insignificant, and has even slightly decreased in recent years, but under the influence of global climate warming trends, the likelihood of future risks for country associated with the transformation of water resources, deterioration of the living conditions of the population and natural ecosystems increases. Consistent decline in biodiversity over a long period in Kyrgyzstan is caused by anthropogenic causes — violation of the habitat conditions of natural communities due to the intensification of economic activity or direct extermination. As a result, wild communities in the lowland zones and intermountain basins of the country have practically disappeared or are half-destroyed, and the development of high-altitude pastures has led to the displacement of herbivorous and predatory species of animals and birds on agricultural land. Use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides contributed to a sharp reduction in useful soil-forming organisms, invertebrates-pollinators, entomophages. Despite the above negative trends, Kyrgyzstan still has unique natural communities that need to be preserved. This can be achieved through the implementation of a number of priority measures:

- introduction of legal protection of natural ecosystems, prohibition of replacement of natural ecosystems with artificial (anthropogenic) ones);

- reservation of land for protected areas, expansion of the area of specially protected natural areas to 10% of the total territory of the country and more, as well as the introduction of a ban on reducing the level (category) of their legal protection;

- expanding the duties of responsible managers (at the level of deputies) of ministries, departments, enterprises and industries in the field of monitoring compliance with environmental management standards that prevent damage to nature in their subordinate units;

- improving the effectiveness of public involvement in environmental assessment and EIA procedures;

- introducing the provision on creation of ecological grids, and reservation of land for specially protected areas in law on specially protected areas;

- broad involvement of public in management of specially protected areas; - introduction of new, innovative institutional mechanisms for management of state environmental expenditure programs, taking into account the best international practices, for example, the model of "Public Contract for Conservation of Biodiversity".

- creating conditions under which the primary users of land, forests, reservoirs, hunting and fishing areas are primarily interested in recording living objects. Introduction of system of rent payments for use of natural resources (possibly reduced to a comprehensive land tax) and tax benefits for those users who have provided the increment of biological resources and restoration of ecosystems.

Basis of a new approach to socio-economic changes necessary for transition to Sustainable development lies in formation of a new type of ecological (nature - centered) world view, where the central element of rethinking is natural foundations of development and the themes of the relationship between man and nature (civilization and nature, nature and society, nature and culture). Basic mechanism for formation of a new person and, accordingly, a new development paradigm is education, education for Sustainable development. The most important thing is that "Person is a whole world", and in order to achieve Sustainable development, it is necessary that this world be human and humane. The very concept of sustainable development carries an important educational factor, since here the person himself is placed at the center of development. All countries of the world are now taking the course to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, and everyone agrees that without an education system that creates the intellectual capital of the nation, achieving these goals is impossible. Accordingly, it is important to ensure that higher educational outcomes are achieved. One of the most important resources of education is its infrastructure. Children should be educated in clean, warm, safe schools. However, a number of schools still do not have clean drinking water, and school toilets are located outside the school. Also, many schools do not provide other necessary safety conditions (light, heat and energy efficiency, ventilation, etc.). These factors affect the health of children. In addition, non-compliance with such factors creates negative behavioural stereotypes in efficient use of resources, which are then carried over into their own homes and do not contribute to creation of safe and energy-efficient environment and sustainable development in general. Representatives of local communities are also poorly informed about modern environmental safety standards.

Education in Kyrgyzstan should not be a sphere of social costs and expenses, but a sphere of investment. Over the past few years, the country has been working on reform in education. A significant part of this process was development of new educational standards aimed at pragmatizing and humanization of education and focused on the needs and individual characteristics of the students. In this regard, it is considered necessary to expand competence-oriented reforms not only in schools, but also in the system of higher pedagogical and subject education. However, within the framework of new generation standards, both in schools and in the system of teacher's training in universities, the conceptual frameworks of sustainable development are not always properly reflected, which does not provide strategic support for country and global development.

For SD in education, it is necessary to work on implementation of the following steps:

- Develop and implement Education standards for Sustainable Development (ESD) as one of the components of system of evaluation and monitoring of education in Kyrgyzstan; Develop a National Program on ESD and a system of indicators to assess its progress;

- Support the development of special educational and informational materials on renewable energy and energy efficiency for local communities.

- Support the development and dissemination of ESD training tools and manuals;

- Integrate energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable development and climate change into existing and new educational standards;

- Develop a comprehensive strategy to raise public awareness about the ways to implement the ideas of sustainable development, green economy to improve the quality of life of population and preserve the natural ecosystems of the country. Establish regular coverage of these issues in the media.

The discourse that development can be changed and that other frameworks can be put into development is the basis for developing new mechanisms based on natural frameworks and taking into account the interaction of human with the environment, society and nature.

When we talk about sustainable development, natural capital, the "real" green economy, and development trends, we must understand that we are talking about processes that affect more than one country, more than one generation, and more than one era. Transition to sustainability must be fair and inclusive for all. The Central Asian States face an urgent need to develop and implement a coordinated set of actions to address the growing development challenges.

In conclusion, it is worth mentioning the prospects for cooperation, which we can and should do together, both at the regional and global levels:

•         the main priority in ensuring the ecological stability of Central Asia is restoration of natural ecosystems in half of the region's territory;

•         environmentally-oriented management, inclusion of an environmental component in all programs and strategies, and introduction of indicators of the state of natural ecosystems and biological diversity in strategies;

•         creation of an effective user system for preparation and presentation of environmental information for decision-makers.

•         launch of communication and discussion platforms in national languages on SD, green economy, correlation of sustainable development indices, etc.;

•         expanding access to information, advanced technologies and resources that are the property of world leaders for effective resolution of national environmental problems;

•         Strengthen the efforts on implementation of the Aarhus Convention. State and international organizations need to see public organizations not as recipients of services or organizations for formal approval, but as full partners and subjects of making, promoting, implementing and monitoring environmentally significant decisions.

•         Strengthen the capacity of community organizations, self-help groups, entrepreneurs, and grids to negotiate their interactions on sustainable development and adaptation to the impacts of climate change;

•         Develop and implement a set of measures aimed at ensuring the equal participation of all interested persons, especially women, service recipients and risk carriers, in decision-making processes on environmentally relevant issues;

•         Pay attention to the relationship between democratic governance and sustainable development. When building models and development programs, focus on the access of excluded groups to different types of resources, including natural resources.

•         It is worth noting and supporting the EU Green Course initiative, which sets out the principles of commitment to cooperation between European countries and partner countries (including in Central Asia) to solve global problems.

Learn more: http://www.biom.kg , http://safe.edu.kg

References:

1.       Shukurov E. J. "Nature. Culture. Human" Selected essays http://www.biom.kg/informatory/library/5856bc23bc854e81eca79226

2.       "Sun Energy for Kyrgyzstan: Diff usion of Solar Energy Using in Kyrgyzstan", Collected articles of the most positive practices of public participation in Central Asia for Sustainable Development, Bishkek

3.       Improvements in agricultural sector, attracting investment in agriculture / / Bankovskiy Vestnik, 2016

4.       Vernadskiy V. I. Selected works: In 5 vols. M.; L., 1954. Vol. 1.

5.       Shukurov E. J. Identifi cation and assessment of ecosystems for conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development of the region

6.       Peccei A. Human qualities. M.,

7.       Education for sustainable development in international documents and agreements. Moscow: "ECO-Consent”