Kyrgyzstan’s government has prepared a draft decree establishing rules for infrastructure development, including small hydropower plants, within wetland territories and adjacent buffer zones.
The proposed framework, drafted by the Cabinet of Ministers, sets guidelines for monitoring, protecting, and managing wetland areas across the country. Under the draft rules, authorities will permit the construction of energy and water management facilities rather than imposing a blanket ban on commercial activity. The regulation also allows recreational projects, livestock grazing, and agricultural use within designated zones.
Commercial operators will be required to adhere to national environmental standards, with specific obligations to protect water resources and local biodiversity. The government will also retain the authority to designate special protective regimes for vulnerable ecosystems, particularly fish spawning sites, waterbird nesting grounds, and habitats of threatened wildlife species.
The document states that the measures will not involve the expropriation of land from current owners or leaseholders. Environmental compliance requirements will instead run alongside existing property rights, reflecting government efforts to expand small-scale hydropower generation and farming while maintaining baseline ecological safeguards.
