Background
The Kyrgyz Republic is facing growing climate-related pressures, including rising temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events, droughts, and increasing stress on urban infrastructure and ecosystems. At the same time, weaknesses in the waste sector are amplifying environmental and climate risks. The country generates an estimated 1.3–1.8 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, with more than 90% disposed of in outdated landfills and uncontrolled dumpsites that lack basic environmental safeguards such as methane capture, leachate control, and fire prevention systems. These conditions contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, soil and water contamination, local air pollution, and public health concerns.
The waste sector is becoming increasingly relevant to the country’s climate agenda. Uncontrolled decomposition and recurrent landfill fires generate significant methane emissions, while plastic leakage and microplastic pollution place additional stress on already vulnerable ecosystems. Valuable recyclable materials such as PET bottles and aluminum cans are largely lost, while organic waste continues to generate methane due to insufficient treatment systems. Other priority waste streams, including WEEE, construction waste, medical waste, and wastewater sludge, also face major technological and institutional gaps. Although the Kyrgyz Republic has initiated reforms such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) provisions and pilot recycling initiatives, efforts remain fragmented and lack an integrated national framework for circular economy transition and climate-aligned waste management.
CTCN Support
This technical assistance will support the Kyrgyz Republic in establishing the technical, regulatory, institutional, and investment-preparation foundation needed for a transition toward integrated and circular waste management. The assistance will help consolidate existing fragmented efforts into a coherent national framework that links policy development, operational planning, technology options, institutional coordination, and climate-oriented investment preparation.
In particular, the TA will focus on developing an Integrated Waste Management and Circular Economy Roadmap, a national Deposit-Return System (DRS) concept and enabling framework, conceptual pilot designs for priority waste streams, and a digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) architecture for waste-related climate benefits. The technical assistance will also strengthen stakeholder coordination and build institutional and gender-responsive technical capacities across municipalities, regulators, operators, and private-sector actors to facilitate future implementation and scale-up.
Expected Outcomes
The technical assistance is expected to strengthen national capacity and evidence-based decision-making for low-emission and climate-resilient transformation of the waste sector in the Kyrgyz Republic. It will provide the country with validated strategic and technical tools needed to advance separate collection systems, DRS deployment, EPR operationalization, and climate-aligned management of priority waste streams.
The support is also expected to improve readiness for future investments and climate finance by identifying practical implementation pathways, conceptual pilot initiatives, and institutional coordination mechanisms. Over time, this will contribute to reduced landfill dependency, lower methane emissions, improved resource recovery, and stronger alignment with national climate and circular economy objectives.
Seeking experts
The CTCN invites qualified experts and firms to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) to participate in this initiative. For further information on this opportunity, visit the UN Global Marketplace (UNGM) or the UN website. Deadline for applications: 28 May 2026.
If you are not yet a member of the CTCN Network, you can apply to join here.
