MSRI Fellow Speaks at UN Climate Change Conference

Senior Research Fellow at the University of Central Asia (UCA), Dr Asel Murzakulova, was invited to the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021 to discuss barriers to digital innovations in relation to climate resilience in mountain communities.

Dr Murzakulova from the Mountain Societies Research Institute of UCA participated virtually at a session to shed light on the availability of digital opportunities to youth for bringing climate change in the region.

She said, “The barriers to digital innovation can vary greatly from region to region. Mountainous countries are known to have vulnerable ecosystems to climate change, and simultaneously, due to the complex topography of these countries, building any infrastructure, including digital, is expensive and technically complex.”

Dr Murzakulova was further asked to share her perspective on how technology can be used to reduce challenges posed to youth in terms of their engagement in agricultural activities. She responded, “Though development of digital technology has eased the process of participating from a distance in various activities, the involvement of young people in natural resource management and agricultural development is still low due to high migration rate from rural to urban areas. However, the issue is more complex than just migration as there is an unstable institutional structure due to constantly changing governments in terms of Kyrgyzstan. We need better infrastructure, a stable economy, and effective institutions to resolve this matter.”