The Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities (AGOCA) recently published the brochure Traditional adaptation practices in Central Asian villages. The publication was the result of the multi-year project “Improving resilience and adaptive capacity at the local level”, supported by the Mountain Partnership (MP) Central Asia Mountain Hub (CAMH), piloted in seven Central Asia mountain villages.

 

Over decades, mountain communities have been trying to cope with the challenges of climate change. Water distribution in the Tian Shan, Pamir and Alai mountains is irrational, characterized by a reduction of water resources in some regions and excess water in others. The recent rapid melting of glaciers in Central Asia serves as an indicator of climate change. The level of adaptation and capacity building needed exceeds the level of opportunity that local communities possess.

 

The brochure aims to address the effectiveness of traditional adaptation practices in changing conditions in mountain communities and provides recommendations to government, development agencies and stakeholders to invest in new technologies to provide local communities’ access to financial resources to achieve adaptation goals.