On October 23, the annual “Land of the Snow Leopard 2021” ecological festival was held in Tash-Bashat village, Naryn region.
Farida Balbakova, the event’s organizer and “Zhashyl Klimat” project expert, notes that the festival’s purpose is to revive traditions of caring for nature:
“For 11 years now, on October 23, International Snow Leopard Day, we have held this festival to draw the attention of the country’s public and residents of villages bordering protected areas to the importance of preserving the snow leopard — the ruler of the mountains and a symbol of healthy natural ecosystems.”
The festival was organized by the European Union’s “Zhashyl Klimat” project. This year, residents of the villages of Tash-Bashat, Enilchek and Ak-Shyirak, bordering the Naryn and Sarychat-Ertash state reserves and the Khan Tengri natural park, took part in the event.
Festival participants delighted spectators with concert numbers and theatrical performances dedicated to the vulnerability of mountain ecosystems to climate change. Colorful performances, featuring mountains, forests, rivers and lakes, as well as the rich flora and fauna of our country, left no one indifferent. Folk legends and tales served as inspiration for festival participants, forming the basis of most of the performances and reflecting the cultural, ecological and ethical values of the Kyrgyz people.
According to the UN, there are between 4,000 and 7,500 snow leopards in the world across 12 countries. Despite conservation initiatives, experts predict that the global population will decline by 10% by 2040. And by 2070, climate change will reduce the snow leopard’s habitat worldwide by two-thirds.
The “Zhashyl Klimat — Youth Resilience to Climate Change” project is implemented under the general coordination of the Norwegian Society for the Protection of Nature, in partnership with BIOM and GLIP, with the financial support of the European Union.
