Publication Name

Environment and Security

Natural resources: land and biodiversity

As we have already seen, the Ferghana valley has very high

population densities for geographic and historical reasons.

One of the first questions when dealing with land must

consequently be the issue of its availability.

High demographic pressure

on limited land resources

coincides with a

lack of jobs and economic prospects

– especially in marginalized areas but increasingly in the

irrigated areas of Uzbekistan too (due to the problems

affecting the Uzbek cotton sector). These factors are trig-

gering population movements to the main urban centres

and to relatively less populated rural areas in the region. As

mentioned before, scope for finding alternative sources of

income by migrating to other regions at varying distances

from home has acted as a key safety valve for the whole

region. However it is increasingly apparent that local peo-

ple are losing the battle against deteriorating economic

conditions and are voicing their discontent more openly.

In Kyrgyzstan in 2005 this culminated in civil unrest and

political changes starting in Osh and Jalal-Abad, two major

cities in the Kyrgyz part of the Ferghana valley.

The Osh and Jalal-Abad provinces and the surrounding hills

and mountains are centres of local migration. The mountain

slopes of the Batken province are attracting migrants from

neighbouring Tajikistan.

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The Andijan torrent goes to Andijanafter having

traversed the suburbs of Osh. Orchards lie along

both its banks; all the Osh gardens overlook it.

Their violets are very fine; they have running

waters and in spring are most beautiful with

the blossoming of many tulips and roses.