The situation in the country
Kyrgyzskaya Republic, was formerly part of the Soviet Union, has now become an independent state (1991). A small, mountainous country located in Central Asia, bordering Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and China. The country covers an area of 199,900 km2 or 0.13% of the land. The main mountain ranges in Kyrgyzstan are the Tien Shan and the Pamirs, the tops of which reach a height of 7439 meters above sea level. Approximately 90% of the territory is located above 1500 m
The distance to the nearest ocean – more than 3,000 km, Kyrgyzstan and dry climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters. The high mountains are the cause of sharp differences in the local climate. At altitudes above 3500 – 4000 m are eternal snows and glaciers.
Kyrgyzstan has a population of 4.8 million people (as of 1999), 34% of the population lives in urban areas, the remaining 66% live in rural areas.
ECONOMIC SITUATION
In 1991 in Kyrgyzstan after the declaration of independence started in economic restructuring. The new government inherited Kirghiz unbalanced and inefficient economic system. During the first years after independence, this situation is further aggravated. The loss of the old economic ties with other countries in the region, the decline in production, and society unprepared for the radical economic changes and market economy, it all ended with a deep and prolonged crisis. Because of the remoteness and isolation of the most affected populations in mountainous areas. Neighboring countries, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have complicated the procedure of border crossing, and Kyrgyzstan has become even more isolated, its ability to rebuild the economy even more diminished.
In 1998 the share of gross national product per capita was about $ 600, of which 43.4% at the expense of agriculture, and only 15.5% by industry. At present, Kyrgyzstan in developing its economy relies heavily on international financial support.
SOCIAL SITUATION
In 1989, before the declaration of independence and transition krynochnoy economy, 33% of Kyrgyzstan's population had a monthly income below the minimum established in the Soviet Union. Since then, the poverty rate increased even more. In 1994, Kyrgyzstan in terms of average income, has been classified by the World Bank to a group of the poorest countries in the world. This group of clients of the International Development Association (MAP), the structure established by the World Bank to provide concessional lending to the poorest countries.
According to the National Statistics Committee (in 1999), the poverty line is defined for earnings below the 533 som per month, and the line of extreme poverty, with incomes less than 321 soms per month. According to these indices in 1999, 55.3% of Kyrgyzstan's population lived below the poverty line and 23.3% – in conditions of extreme poverty
Along with the growth of poverty, the gap between rich and poor. The income of the richest people (20% of the population), 7.1 times higher than the income of the poorest 20% of the population.
Table 1. Indicators of poverty in Kyrgyzstan by region (% of population)
Table 1 shows that the Naryn region has the highest percentage of poor and very poor. Naryn and Talas regions are characterized by clean mountain environment, lack of nearby urban centers, as well as the lack of important agricultural and non-agricultural businesses. Issyk-Kul region, despite the midlands, has a balanced ratio of mountain and lowland resources. The main limiting factor for sustainable development is hard-availability. The situation in Naryn, confirms this. Relatively high levels of poverty in two areas in the south of Osh and Jalal-Abad, possibly related to a very high population density.
Table 2. Capital expenditure by region (million soms)
Investment in urban centers have increased over the past few years, while investment in mining Talas and Naryn oblasts, with no large cities, it is also reflected in investment per capita (see Table 3). In the pure mountain areas, Talas and Naryn, this figure is even lower than in the rest of the country. In addition, the Osh region has a low capital investment per capita, the reason is simple – high population density in this area.
Table 3. Capital expenditure per capita by region
Exactly the same picture we have a comparison of average wages. In Naryn, and Talas wages are significantly lower than in other regions of Kyrgyzstan, with the exception of the Osh region, with its high population density.
Table 4. The average wage in the Republic (KGS per month)
Despite the fact that the mountainous Naryn region is one of the most sparsely populated and economically weak in Kyrgyzstan, the number of officially registered unemployed is almost close to the number of unemployed people in the densely populated area of Chu (Naryn region: 2236 people., Chui: 2762 people.). However, these data do not reflect the actual situation, because many of the unemployed are not officially registered.
Poor quality of social benefits, education and social protection (including health, protection of public order, etc.) not only leads to an increase in poverty, but also to an increase in migration to the plains area. Table 5 shows clearly that the migration takes place in all areas, except for Chu, where the capital of Bishkek. Migration from the mountainous regions and the loss of traditional activities reduces the standard of living, because, leaving mainly the young and energetic people. It also exacerbates the problem of unemployment in the cities and plains. Only around Bishkek settled more than 100,000 migrants from the mountainous areas (National Census, 1999).
Table 5. Migration within the Kyrgyzskoy Republic (thousand). (Positive data indicate migration into the area, and the negative data indicate migration from the area.)
EDUCATION
Expenditure on education in the country are declining. In 1992, deductions for education amounted to 6% of GNP. This figure dropped to 5% in 1998. Mountain areas have experienced particularly strong reduction in spending on education. As a result, fewer and fewer people are receiving secondary education. The number of children not attending school is increasing. In 8588 the country of 100,000 children out of school, 6520 of them, the villagers, that is, it's mostly residents of mountain areas of the country (National Statistical Committee, 1999). As a rule, the highest percentage of children not attending school, indicates Naryn region. Children in rural areas do not attend school because of poverty (the cost of school needs, clothing, books), because of the use of child labor for agricultural activities (grazing animals, field work, etc.).
In rural schools, acute shortage of teachers. Job underpaid and undervalued teachers. Many students who come to the city from rural areas to learn the teaching profession, and not return to rural areas. In addition, because of high rates of migration from mountain areas, many professionals, educators have long since left school. The number of students in vocational-technical schools decreased by one third. Vocational education can no longer find work after graduation, because of the reduction in the number of industrial and agricultural businesses. It follows that the problems of education in mountainous areas require urgent attention, because losses in this sector could become irreversible.
HEALTH
The document General assessment of the situation in the country (data 1999) describes the decline in the quality and accessibility of health care in the mountains. Fewer and fewer open clinics and outpatient hospital treatment, the incidence of infectious diseases (hepatitis, tuberculosis and syphilis) and child mortality is increasing.
Again, the Naryn mountain experience the most serious problems facing the residents of mountainous regions. Naryn region has the highest percentage of households that do not meet basic sanitary conditions. Percentage of population of Naryn oblast, which has no access to health services, is 29.9% (1998), or 22.3% (1999), compared with lowland areas of Chui oblast (6.1% and 6.7% , respectively). Naryn region also has the highest percentage of malnourished children aged 1 to 6 years (11.7%).
HUMAN RESOURCES
On the human resource capacity in Kyrgyzstan has a huge impact migration from mountain areas in the valley areas and urban centers and further abroad (Kazakhstan, Russia, Europe). This seriously affects the society as it is comparable with brain drain because, as a rule, first leaving the most easily adaptable, mobile and educated people. In addition, a weak education system of the country gives reason to say that the future of human resources will be further weakened.
As in other countries of the former Soviet Union comes to a complete reassessment of values, in connection with the transition from a socialist society to a market economy. Growing poverty leads to more crime, more and more exacerbated in rural areas to the extent that people do not feel safe anymore. The growth of corruption is one of the factors that seriously impede economic progress.
The huge task facing the government to reverse the situation and create a safer and more attractive conditions for the population and economic activities as well as for potential investors. Whatever it was, Kyrgyzstan has already made some positive steps to overcome these problems. An important step in this has been the decentralization of public administration, which, however, is not yet fully implemented
MOUNTAIN RESOURCE USE IN THE PAST
During the Soviet regime exploited the resources of the mountains too. On the basis of subsidized winter fodder and food concentrates, the number of pets in the collective and state farms, pasture in the mountains, higher than the possibility of grazing, which resulted in serious damage, there was soil erosion and degradation of land.
Mineral resources have been developed and operated with great damage to the environment, and storage of hazardous wastes constitute a risk factor for health. Forest area decreased significantly, and the state of protected areas created during the Soviet period, gradually deteriorating, particularly intense this was already in the post-Soviet period ..
Water used for irrigation of the mountains of large areas in the valleys, leaving little water for closed lakes in Central Asia. The consequence of this was the lowering of water level in the Aral Sea, Lake Issyk-Kul and Balkhash. For the production of hydroelectric energy used extensively. But the conflict between energy production and supply of water for irrigation during the summer on the plain did not exist, because the mountain regions of Kyrgyzstan centrally supplied with cheap gas and fuel oil for heating and other purposes.
Beginning in 1991, independence and economic restructuring has brought huge changes to Kyrgyzstan, which still have to adapt. The large collective and state farms were split up into many small farms, this process was accompanied by complete destruction of most of the services rendered at the time the operation of water resources for agriculture and forestry. Pre-existing transfer payments to the population in the mountains for the most part ceased, as well as subsidies for certain agricultural and silvicultural activities. For example, the use of water for irrigation is assigned an unrealistic price, which means that the implicit subsidies still exist.