Innovative technologies by their own hands: how residents of the Municipal Territorial Administration No.1 solve environmental problems

Municipal Territorial Administration No. 1 is an “island” in the Osh market area. Although the buildings related to MTA-1 are located in the capital, activists together with local self-governments bodies, have found serious problems with the hot water supply, as well as a complicated environmental and sanitary situation due to the proximity of one of the largest markets in the country in February 2022.

Problems with waste, lack of hot water and other environmental and sanitary problems strongly affect the level of conflicts, the level of diseases, poverty and the general condition of the community.

"Together with active residents and local self-government bodies, we have found a solution to these problems that cause conflicts. Our solution is the introduction of green technologies that can be created from materials at hand," says Indira Aseyin, Chairman of the Management Board of the "Agerkech" Public Association.

"Agerkech" Public Association is implementing the Inclusive Innovative Platform for Peacebuilding project, which will serve as a model of early conflict prevention. It is also planned to develop an inclusive "green" infrastructure of public-private partnership with the use of renewable energy sources and water conservation.

Innovative industries

A series of “Innovative Industries” events was organized especially for representatives of homeowners' associations, committees, activists, local residents of Municipal Territorial Administration No. 1. Guest meetings with 9 innovators, experts in the field of eco-friendly, creative and digital economy helped the participants to develop creative thinking, learn about the use of renewable energy sources, water conservation, sanitation and waste management, build models of solar collectors, environmental and sanitary forms.

“The lectures on the “green” (eco-friendly), digital, and creative economy prompted us to move forward and obtain new professions, as we learned that according to experts, 800 million people in the world will lose their jobs in the next five years, and only 300 million new jobs will appear. Therefore, right now we need to take care of what our generation will do,” the participant commented.

In order not to waste the acquired knowledge, the participants developed their own innovative ideas for solving problems at Municipal Territorial Administration No.1 during the course on project lifecycle management. The best ideas received a small amount of funding from the Inclusive Innovative Platform for Peacebuilding project.

So, the initiative of the chairperson of the association of homeowners - D. Orozaliev received funding to train specialists in the “green” economy and craftsmen to manufacture a solar water heater from simple, affordable materials and create better conditions for low-income families and to save family budget.

"After this training, we realized how important it is to take care of others, and most importantly, we realized that we can help the residents of our district ourselves. The priority for us is to supply hot water to those houses that do not have it. Now we know that we can develop and produce an invention that will supply hot water with sunlight," says the chairperson of the association of homeowners - Orozaliev Dzhumaly.

Another initiative from Toksanbayev K. received funding for the training of specialists in the “green” economy and specialists in environmental sanitation, craftsmen in the manufacture of ecological compostable toilets.

In addition, an inclusive resource platform was created on the basis of the center of the Kyrgyz Society of the Blind and Deaf for residents of 11 neighboring associations of homeowners for regular training of needy families in innovative fields, peacebuilding trainings, the development of project applications and the attraction of grant funds for the implementation of the ideas of the local community as part of the third initiative supported by the project.

To date, the Inclusive Innovative Platform for Peacebuilding project has signed a memorandum of cooperation with 13 associations of homeowners and committees of Municipal Territorial Administration No.1 of Bishkek, and intends to cooperate with them on the introduction and development of an exclusive Inclusive Innovative Platform for Peacebuilding, showing local communities that it is possible to innovate to resolve the root causes of conflicts at site, using available means and huge opportunities at hand.

Thanks to these joint efforts, a demonstration facility has been created to serve as a tool for training more masters in “green” technologies.

This work was done by the Agerkech Public Associaiton within the framework of the Inclusive Innovative Platform for Peacebuilding initiative, which is aimed at the active participation of young people in the process of solving local problems. The initiative is funded by the Living in Peace (Living in Peace) project.

International Alert, together with the Development Policy Institute and the National Mediation Center, is implementing the Living in Peace project with the support of the European Union.