On March 25th, Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Omurbekova, visited the Bishkek Branch of the CAS Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia (hereafter referred to as “RCEECA”), and attended the conference to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the founding of Bishkek Branch. The conference was chaired by President Dzhumataev of the National Academy of Science of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Omurbekova, expressed her congratulations for the 5^th anniversary of the founding of Bishkek Branch in the speech, highly recognized the achievements made by the center in academic exchanges, platform building, science and research cooperation and talents cultivation and expressed her hope that the center will continue to strengthen and expand cooperation with the research institutes of Kyrgyzstan to solve the economic and environmental problems faced by Kyrgyzstan with science and technology. In her speech, she also mentioned the technology and demonstration project for safeguarding drinking water safety conducted by the center together with the Bureau of Water Supply and Drainage, Ministry of Construction of Kyrgyzstan. She believed that the program fully has evaluated the conditions of Kyrgyzstan’s drinking water and the imported water purifying equipment has solved the problem of heavy metal, antibiotics and microbes in the water exceeding given standard, which brings benefits to local people. Besides, she also underlined that the safety of drinking water is a great concern of the country’s leaders and the government.

Chen Xi, Director of the RCEECA, Vice President of Xinjiang Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences gave a brief introduction about the Chinese Academy of Science and classification reform in “Pioneer Initiative” program while looking back at the historic development of the construction of RCEECA and achievements made in a systematic way. He also expressed that the center will seek broader scientific and technological cooperation with Kyrgyzstan.

Professor Alamanov of Bishkek Branch reported on the project progress of “Kyrgyzstan’s construction of technology demonstration zone for safeguarding drinking water safety”. Launched in 2016, the project aimed to solve the problem of drinking water for urban residents in remote areas due to Kyrgyzstan’s lack of centralized water supply. Based on water quality sampling and analytical determination, together with the field research of the water source area, residents’ way of collecting water, water quality analysis report and affordable water price, the technological program was finally confirmed. The demonstration site “complete set membrane technological purifying and centralized water supply station (or water purifying house)”was built in Dostuk Town, Chuy Province of Kyrgyzstan in August, 2018, which brought benefits to as many as 5,000 people. 

Borubayev, Deputy Minister of Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Construction, Saparov, Director of Almaty Branch of the RCEECA and Vice President of Kazakhstan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Saidov, Director of Dushanbe Branch of the RCEECA and Vice President of Tajikistan Academy of Sciences, and Zhang Yuanming, Deputy Director of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, all expressed their congratulations in their speeches to the 5^th anniversary of the founding of Bishkek Branch and the achievements made. 

A total of about 100 people, including Arsenov, Director of China Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, Directors of KAS institutes and relevant staff from Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, RCEECA and Bishkek Branch, Almaty Branch and Dushanbe Branch attended the celebration conference.

Before the conference, Deputy Prime Minister, Omurbekova, visited the joint lab and information center. Sakiev, Director of Bishkek Branch and Director of Institute of Geology of the Kyrgyzstan Academy of Sciences, introduced the operation of RCEECA, organizational structure of the Branch, staffs, ongoing research projects and research achievements to Deputy Prime Minister, Omurbekova in details through the posters.

After the conference, all participants went to visit the demonstration site “complete set membrane technological purifying and centralized water supply station (or water purifying house)” of the project for safeguarding drinking water safety.

Bishkek Branch of the RCEECA was founded in April, 2014. Vice President Zhang Yaping attended the inauguration. Covering an office area of 1,500 square meters, the center now has 13 employees, 41 sets of equipment, 3 ecosystem monitoring and research stations and 1 ecological and agricultural technology demonstration site. Since its establishment, a total of 5 academic monographs and 34 papers have been published. It also has 18 master and PhD students.

Celebration conference

Dean of the National Academy of Science of the Kyrgyz Republic chairs the meeting

Deputy Prime Minister delivers a speech

Chen Xi gives a speech

Zhang Yuanming gives a speech

Deputy Prime Minister learns about the operation of the center

Deputy Prime Minister visits the lab