President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov has announced his proposals regarding cities in mountainous areas during the Leaders’ Session within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku, APA reports.
“First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the brotherly people of Azerbaijan for the sincere hospitality, as well as for organizing this important event at the highest level. The forum dedicated to the theme ‘Housing the World: Safe and Sustainable Cities’ creates a unique platform for discussing urbanization, sustainable development, climate change and affordable housing issues. As a mountainous country, Kyrgyzstan attaches special importance to the sustainable development of mountain regions. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, mountains not only directly ensure the life and well-being of the 1.1 billion mountain residents living in the world, but also indirectly provide benefits for billions of people living in foothill areas. Unfortunately, the melting of glaciers, climate change, population migration and increasing pressure on ecosystems negatively affect cities located in high mountainous and foothill regions. These are small cities with rich histories, unique cultural characteristics and facing numerous problems. In order to ensure the sustainable development of cities in mountainous areas, I would like to draw your attention to three main directions. The first direction is ensuring the sustainability of ecosystems. We support the development of integrated urban management strategies that take into account the vulnerability of mountain ecosystems. In particular, adaptation to the reduction of water flow from glaciers and the introduction of water-saving technologies are of vital importance. In addition, it is important to develop and implement environmentally safe systems for waste collection, recycling and disposal, as well as to prevent pollution of natural landscapes. We also believe that the use of local environmentally friendly materials, energy-efficient technologies and earthquake-resistant design methods adapted to mountain conditions is of particular importance. The second direction is innovation for mountain urbanism. This includes the development of smart technologies adapted to the characteristics of mountainous regions, including the digitalization of utility services, transport and energy supply systems. Based on Kyrgyzstan’s experience, we believe that the hydropower and solar energy potential in mountainous regions should be used to the maximum in order to ensure energy independence and reduce emissions. Of course, the creation of transport networks resilient to natural disasters and the development of early warning systems are equally important. The third direction is related to human capital and cultural heritage. Mountain cities are not only about nature, but above all about people. Therefore, we strive to create comfortable living and working conditions for our citizens and guests. This includes the development of education and social infrastructure, the creation of tourism routes and facilities, as well as support for the concept of digital nomads,” Sadyr Japarov noted.
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