Dr. Alexey Gunya, Free University Berlin, Institute of East European Studies



The Ferghana Valley is divided among the three Central Asian Republics of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the three republics became independent and the internal boundaries transformed into international borders. The communities in the Ferghana Valley have been the biggest losers, as the massive transfer payments of the Soviet Union to the Central Asian republics dried up. In addition, important local economic links were disrupted because of the new borders. High unemployment, declining standards of living and deterioration of the infrastructure testify to the difficult economic situation. About 14 million people live in the Ferghana Valley today. Of these, over half live in Uzbekistan. The key problem in the Ferghana Valley, however, is not over-population but scarcity and mismanagement of the critical natural resources, land and water. Most densely populated regions in Europe are characterised by the presence of industry, while agriculture is the most important source of income in the Ferghana Valley. Within Central Asia the Ferghana Valley is considered to be a particularly conflict-sensitive region. Conflicts in the multi-ethnic Valley threaten the stability of the entire extended region.



The development of a cross-border partnership among local communities in the Ferghana Valley is taking place in the broader context of regional cooperation initiatives that address environmental and development concerns. Within such a regional programme, the Environment and Security Initiative ENVSEC, a "Cross-border cooperation between communities in the Ferghana Valley in the context of sustainable development" project was initiated in 2007 with financial assistance from the German Federal Environment Ministry (see www.envsec.org). Through the project, the local level has become the first stage of cooperation. This approach makes sense since local resource utilisation is ultimately the immediate level of natural resource use in Central Asia. Direct water use takes place at the local level, including irrigation. Community health, social security and, most of all, the rise in tensions between different ethnic and religious groups are all critical issues that arise at the local level. The author was able to interview local stakeholders at the village level as well as politicians and experts (including NGOs) about the perspectives for cross-border cooperation during a three-week field trip in the region.



Good examples of cooperation at the local level could be networks of NGOs and communities or even between companies, e.g. the Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities (AGOCA); "Valley of Peace" (Ferghana Valley NGO Network "Dolina Mira") comprising 26 NGOs from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan etc. Apart from these there are also traditional (non- or only partially formalised) networks. For the communities, seasonal grazing rights in the form of animal migration from mountainous to lower level pastures are the most important issue. Herds from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are driven to pastures in Kyrgyzstan in summer. Added to this are bazaars, which sprang up spontaneously along the borders. Community based tourism (CBT) represents a relatively new form of cooperation.



Not all countries have been equally active in such local partnerships. Kyrgyzstan has been the most active while local level cooperation is picking up steam in Tajikistan. Uzbekistan has so far not participated in this cooperation process due to a number of factors. For example, the events of 1999 – 2001 in the Batken area of Kyrgyzstan halted cross-border cooperation with Uzbekistan, as Kirgiz and Uzbek security forces fought with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which had entered Kyrgyzstan from Tajikistan. Many important issues relating to the Ferghana Valley have only been partially included in development programmes, such as ENVSEC's, because of Uzbekistan's non-participation.



The unequal degree of involvement of communities in the Ferghana Valley in building the local partnership is a consequence of various social and economic factors in the Valley. Despite a shared history during the Soviet period, these countries have different legal and institutional structures for cooperation at the local level. The main point of difference is the depth and degree of state influence at the local level. This ranges from relatively strong influence in Uzbekistan to weak influence in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The process of decentralisation has been different in each of these countries. While in Uzbekistan the process is still weak, donors and the state have made resolute attempts at decentralisation in Kyrgyzstan. In Tajikistan decentralisation has been a "spontaneous" outcome of the state not having sufficient funds to resolve problems at the local level.



Amongst the numerous issues for the local partnership, the question of who would function as the official representatives and members of the local network assumed great importance. Local communities tend to be based on traditional structures (extended families, neighbourhoods - mahallyas, shared use of natural resources etc.). A further factor is that local governments still only have weak autonomy. The extremely slow pace of institutional change directed at building local self government is impeding the process. At the central government level the need for local cooperation is recognised and viewed positively. However, there is a lack of sustained support. The legal system and the mechanisms for law enforcement are not efficient enough to resolve the practical issues. A clear demarcation between the functions and jurisdiction of the state and local self government still does not exist. Budgets are prepared "top down". The local communities are too poor to fund their own budget plans.



Support to local networks in the Ferghana Valley is a requirement for sustainable cross-border development. It requires technical and financial assistance. The following thematic areas and projects can contribute to network-building in the Ferghana Valley: Assistance to local initiatives for sustainable development through a partnership in the Ferghana Valley; support for developing mechanisms for sustainable and conflict-free resource use; monitoring of the environmental situation in the Ferghana Valley.



Dr. Gunya Alexey is senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Geography in Moscow and Institute of Computer Science and Problems of Regional Development in Kabardino-Balkaria, Nalchik) and currently working in a research team at the Institute of East European Studies at the Free University Berlin. Contact: gunyaa@yahoo.com

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, October 2007