RCE Kyrgyzstan: Conservation of Traditional Knowledge on Medicinal Plants Chinara Sadykova RCE Kyrgyzstan RCE Kyrgyzstan was officially acknowledged as an RCE in May 2007. In September of that year, RCE Kyrgyzstan began raising public awareness on education for sustainable development (ESD), presenting a sustainable development concept publicly, presenting mountain ecosystems conservation issues, and making speeches and lectures for diverse focus groups, such as employees of the Ministry of Education, the State Agency on Environmental Protection and Forestry, decision makers, educators, and youth, among others. RCE Kyrgyzstan established a partnership with ESD stakeholders. The main partners of RCE Kyrgyzstan are the State Agency on Environmental Protection and Forestry, the National Ministry of Education, Soil- Biology Institute of National Academy of Science, Kyrgyz Academy of Education, Kyrgyz Medical Academy, Bishkek Humanitarian University, Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, Naryn State University and local communities around the country. RCE Kyrgyzstan activities include: - Developing partnerships between educators, scientific 90 experts, pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, NGOs and with environmental and sustainable development focused projects and programmes currently working in Kyrgyzstan; - Raising awareness of decision-makers, teachers, schools, universities and NGOs on the importance of mountain ecosystem conservation; - C reation and support of informational networks through websites and the State Agency on Environmental Protection and Forestry; - Assisting RCE Kyrgyzstan members to gain experience and best practices from other RCEs and international organisations that are working in the field of ESD; and - C reation of permanent fundraising activities for developing projects and programmes in Kyrgyzstan on ESD and mountain ecosystems conservation, sharing best practices from local communities and partners from Central Asia and around the world Overall, RCE Kyrgyzstan’s goal is to enhance understanding of the importance of mountain ecosystems conservation among diverse groups of stakeholders through the promotion of sustainable development (SD), ESD and the UN Decade on ESD in Kyrgyzstan and by strengthening the participation of civil society and educators. Project Activities In achieving its main goal, RCE Kyrgyzstan implemented several projects to share experience and research on traditional knowledge of the Kyrgyz on medicinal plant use. RCE Kyrgyzstan projects are focusing on recovery of traditional knowledge on medicinal plant use, the importance of biodiversity and mountain ecosystems, the sustainable nature use in the context of a healthy environment, and human well-being. The main focus of its projects is to establish collaboration with local communities, traditional knowledge (TK) holders and youth. Within the framework of these projects, RCE Kyrgyzstan: established partnership relations with the rural population in the Naryn region; raised awareness of the importance of biodiversity conservation; collected information on TK medicinal plant use; developed a database of TK and medicinal plants; and created linkages between health, environment and traditional knowledge. Healthy ecosystems and biodiversity are sources of various services that nurture life and enhance human well-being. Of these services, a cross-cutting one is the contribution that biodiversity makes to secure the health of people and life forms in all its manifestations – physical, mental and spiritual (Unnikrishnan and Suneetha 2012). Biological resources of Kyrgyzstan play an important role in the economy and medicine of the country. Various species are used as whole food, for medicinal purposes and other commercial use. In total about 600 species of plant are used by people. Kyrgyzstan is a centre of origin for domesticated fruit crops and up to now progenitors of these crops vegetates in the country. Examples include walnut, some species of apple, wild apricot and pistachio. On 7% to 8% of the territory, the local population collects wild berries of sea-buckthorn, mountain ash, barberry, currant, raspberry, hawthorn, and other medicinal pants. (NBSAP, 1998). Monitori ng, docume ntation, pr otection, and edu cation 13
Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
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