Gulnura

Indira Zhakipova, co-ordinator of EKOIS, described local journalists’ knowledge as ‘primitive’ and said that they were failing to build contacts with experts in the field. She added that a lack both of analysis and regular coverage of environmental issues had led to reporting that was both ‘boring’ and poorly informed.

On 1 January, Kazakhstan became the first ex-Soviet state to chair the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE. Annette Bohr, associate fellow for the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House spoke to Gulnura Toralieva about Kazakhstan’s role as the OSCE chair.

The prime minister of Kyrgyzstan has asked for international help to tackle toxic waste as a local ecologist warned that the country faces “a radioactive catastrophe”.

Central Asia’s governments and civil society did not encourage climate-change discussions ahead of the Copenhagen summit in December, argues Cleo Paskal, associate fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs.