Vladimir Mikhalev: “ Poverty problem can not be solved without tackling environmental sustainability issues” Interview with the consultant of Poverty and Environment Initiative in Kyrgyzstan, Representative of UNDP Regional Center for Europe and CIS in Bratislava, Vladimir Mikhalev - Vladimir, please tell us a little bit about yourself: what experience do you have and what was your previous work before coming to work as a Consultant of the Poverty and Environment Initiative? - I have worked at UNDP Regional Center in Bratislava for 6 years now. My work here is significantly related to Kyrgyzstan. Previously I worked with the British consulting firm Oxford Police Management, which lead a joint project of the Department for International Development (DFID) and the National Statistics Committee. We studied the budgets of households, which has become the main tool of monitoring poverty in Kyrgyzstan. In 1997-1998 I worked with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security on the World Bank Project on reforming of social security syste, where we conducted a serious analysis and made suggestions for improving targeted social aid in the republic. In more than 25 years of my work experience in scientific research and consulting business Kyrgyzstan takes an important place. I myself was born in Moscow, worked at the Russian Science Academy. Later I engaged in research projects abroad, then transferred to consulting business and now I am working in UN system. - Kyrgyzstan is currently implementing a new Programme under the UNDP-UNEP Poverty and Environment Initiative. What was the pre-requisite for initiating this work in the country? - The selection process of partner countries for implementing Poverty and Environment Initiative in Europe and CIS was based on a deep analysis and a series of thorough consultations with parties. In particular, we met with representatives of the State Environment Agency, Ministry of Economic Regulations and conducted a big workshop, where representatives of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan presented their strong arguments on the need of carrying out such work in their countries. In Kyrgyzstan most people live in poverty and have low incomes, what makes urgent the problem of poverty reduction here. While the country is rich in natural resources, it also has such environmental problems as high risks of natural disasters, potential environmental pollution with radioactive waste as a consequence of uranium mining activities during the former USSR. Serious processes related with glacial melting and shrinking water resources are underway as well. This concerns both Kyrgyzstan and the entire Central Asian region as the water sources located in your country provide the downstream countries as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with water. The region is experiencing acute shortage of water and energy, as shrinking water sources undermine the countries’ power base. All these problems impact development of the countries. Due to the high level of poverty the countries can overcome these problems only through the sustainable development, which is impossible to achieve without first solving the issues of effective nature management. - How, in your opinion, poverty and environment issues are interlinked? - The majority of Kyrgyzstan’s population live in the rural area, which is marked with high poverty level. It is obvious that these people heavily rely on the state of natural environment, on the quality of soil and water for their livelihood. Degrading quality of soil, scarcity of irrigation water , increasing risks of natural disaster pose direct threat to people with low incomes, who are mainly engaged in agriculture. In other words, we can not overcome poverty without first solving the issues of environmental sustainability.
- The Programme of Poverty and Environment Initiative involves interventions into planning and budgeting processes at the local level. How can this contribute to improving lives of rural people? - We need to have well thought-out projects and plans towards which Poverty and Environment Programme will be working during its implementation period. First we need to analyze the problems, identify the needs and make up action plans and incorporate them into development plans and then search for funding sources for their implementation. Doing that we must ensure that all our programs and activities aim both the economic growth and increasing population’s living standards, and environmental conservation and rational nature management as well. - To address the social problems in the regions people need to raise donor assistance. Does the Programme provides for financial resources for implementation of specific projects? - Unfortunately, the budget of our Programme is not so big to provide such a big assistance. However, we can direct certain amount of resources for implementation of priority and prospective small projects for the demonstration effects. But our primary task is to build reasonable development plans and attract large resources and investments for their implementation both at the local, regional and national levels and the donor resources. When we have convincing and clearly defined plans, we can effectively mobilize resources using them as the effective tools. - What results have been achieved so far in Tajikistan, which is also implementing PEI? - PEI has been launched in Tajikistan a year ago and a successful start of this Programme was ensured due to the direct involvement of the Programme in formulation of local development plans for 14 districts of Sogdian Province. It is the province where through the joint work with both local and international experts of the Programme, we could deepen these plans by prioritizing environmental sustainability in all components. Tajikistan developed a strategic development planning methodology for districts and jamaats (rural communities). After being thoroughly studied the methodology was approved as the National Strategic Planning Methodology at the local level. Poverty and Environment Programme incorporated in it very important components on environmental sustainability, as well as on integration of perspectives of environmental sustainability. Now it seems to us that Tajikistan has good examples of substantiating the poverty-environment nexus and recommendations for mainstreaming the linkage into the planning process through the National Methodology. If similar National Methodology was adopted in Kyrgyzstan, it would do a great help in planning processes as an original instrument teaching people how to plan and a good practical guide for planning development. - What do the donors pay attention to when deciding whether to work in one or other country? - Donors well understand that development goals and need for external aid are the priorities for Kyrgyzstan. Everybody knows that the country has undergone internal conflicts, therefore donors keep high focus on development of Kyrgyzstan. But donors are interested in effective use of their resources, therefore they need plans that clearly show how the country sees its development. Donors are also interested in environmental sustainability and sustainable nature management as this is more than just a national problem and extends beyond the country borders. Actually how the country uses its natural resources concerns the interests of both neighbor countries and global interests. That is why donors are highly concerned with these issues and if we manage to prove that we have effective proposals, projects on sustainable nature management as part of our development plans, they will support such plans.
- What pre-requisites exist in the country that PEI will be successfully implemented in Kyrgyzstan? - The country has a good expert potential, it has good practice of public consultations, mobilization of civil and community initiatives and large experience of working with donors. Over the last two decades of independence the country has received quite a lot of technical assistances, modern planning methodologies and expert analysis, i.e. the country possesses serious capacity not only in the center but also in the regions. Apart from that there are serious partners in the country with whom to work. -Thank you for the interview!