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Environment and Security
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Ferghana
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Osh
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Khujand
Enclaves and border areas
are consequently areas of
concern regarding land-related tensions. The complex,
problematic demarcation of borders between Tajikistan
and Kyrgyzstan further confuses the attribution of land.
The
border region around Isfara in Tajikistan
and the
Suzak
district in Kyrgyzstan
are typical of this situation. In Isfara
(more precisely in the
Kok-Tash – Batken province - and
Shorsu, near Isfara
), the situation has escalated to open
conflict between ethnic Kyrgyz and Tajiks. A similar situation
has arisen in the
Arka and Kistakuz
region (see also section
on water), where Tajiks have acquired land in Kyrgyzstan,
after rising groundwater flooded their own land. Kyrgyz
officials often expressed concern about overpopulation of
parts of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan bordering on Kyrgyzstan,
and the corresponding pressure placed on its own land
12
.
There is particular concern about the situation around the
Kairakkum reservoir
where pressure on land is increasing
(see next section for details).
Land mines
exist along Uzbek borders, and are considered
necessary by the government of Uzbekistan for national
security. In some cases mined areas are marked by signs,
but the overall lack of information about their location, fenc-
ing or visible marking on the ground have lead to a number
of human and animal fatalities or severe injuries.
Highlands
are usually marginal areas with limited capacity
for supporting a large population living on agriculture
13
.
Local migration to these areas adds to pressure on limited
resources in places already hampered by high birth rates.
Under such conditions increasing numbers of people must
compete for dwindling resources, which in turn often means
increasing tension and conflict for their control.
Another example of this type of problem is
deforestation
and use of pasture
. In the Tien-Shan, Alai and Pamir areas
and the Turkestan mountain ranges the problem of land
degradation is particularly acute. The need for timber for
fuel or building leads to deforestation and hence land deg-
radation. Transboundary incursions for wood and wildlife
affect all the three countries
14
.
Forests are also coming under pressure in the border areas
around Isfara, in the Vorukh enclave (in the Batken prov-
ince, Kyrgyzstan) and in Gantchi, in the Sogd province of
Tajikistan, where the inhabitants of the enclaves are often
accused by their neighbours of illegal logging. Here again
these border areas are some of the main hotspots for
environmentally related tension. Furthermore there is an
ethnic dimension to such tension, disputes usually involving
groups from different ethnic communities.
Similar problems also affect
pasture in the mountain areas
of Kerben
(Jalal-Abad province, Kyrgyzstan). Disputes
caused by badly defined regulations for the use of pasture
15
in border areas or simply by competition between different
local groups are frequent along the borders between Kyr-
gyzstan (where most of the pasture is located), Uzbekistan
and Tajikistan.
The two land categories – forest (especially walnut forests)
and pasture – seem to display many of the requisites for envi-
ronmentally induced conflicts leading to violence
. The inhab-
itants of such areas depend to a large extent on resources
under pressure from rising population. The consequences
of local overpopulation such as lower per capita availability
of productive agricultural land and further impoverishment
of upland areas have an immediate negative impact on their
livelihoods. In such a context the mechanisms for regulating
and preventing the conflicts are of vital importance.
Limited land availability has another impact: because of
population pressure and scarce resources
all available
land is used for agricultural purposes
, including areas rich
in endemic and endangered species. Moreover a range
of factors – pipelines, roads and electrical power lines in
areas of fragile biodiversity, intensive use of recreational
resources (including hunting and mountaineering), mining
and processing industries – contribute to reducing biodi-
versity in the region.
Finally, since independence, Central Asian states have
introduced agricultural and land reforms designed to boost
output and diversify agricultural production. In practice
the various reform programmes also mean
different legal
regimes for accessing land and regulating water manage-
ment at a local level in the three basin states
. This situation
further complicates problems at a sub-state level.
Protected areas
Protected areas, established in representative and
unique ecosystems, once proved very effective for pre-
serving and monitoring biodiversity. Recently, however,
the integrated network of protected areas has been
split into fragmented patches. Its effectiveness has
significantly decreased. Political borders turn out to
be limiting factors for natural habitats. Some protected
areas have been devastated by armed conflict (Romit, in
Tajikistan). Others have failed to preserve their biodiver-
sity because of increasing fragmentation of ecosystems
and obstacles in the path of animal migration.
Oshhasafineclimate,anabundanceof running
waters and amost beautiful spring season. Many
traditions have their rise in its excellencies.