What works in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan has undertaken major infrastructure and social development initiatives in recent years. The Digital CASA project expanded broadband access by laying over 3,000 km of fibre-optic cable and connecting nearly 4,000 schools, clinics and offices, targeting affordable internet for 800,000+ citizens by 2025, though early implementation faced procurement delays. The Ravenstvo organization addresses gender-based violence against women with disabilities, with a 2025 survey finding 93% of 150 surveyed women across seven regions had experienced abuse, while parliament responded with 2025 criminal-code amendments toughening penalties for sexual violence. In natural resource management, the GIZ-funded walnut forest programme (2018–2023) worked to reduce pasture and forest degradation in the world's largest natural walnut forest, though a household survey found forest-leaseholding users earned significantly less (US$165 annually) than non-forest users in the same communities.