On August 31 – September 4, Rahat Sabyrbekov, an assistant professor in the Economics Department at AUCA, participated in the United Nations Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) as a Young Fellow. Rahat is a co-author of the Regional and Subregional Assessment on Europe and Central-Asia.
Were you the only representative from the Kyrgyz Republic? What other countries were represented?
I was the only one from Kyrgyzstan, and even Central Asia. The leading authors were prominent scientists from all over Europe. There were several participants from the former Soviet Union, like Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Georgia. I was very lucky to be among them.
How was the selection process? Was it difficult?
The selection process was competitive. The announcement was made to scholars across Europe and Central Asia. Particularly, the organizers wanted people with the requisite academic credentials and research agenda for the IPBES scope. During one meeting, we were told that about 700 people applied. I was selected along with four other fellows from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, and Russia.
What was your contribution to this conference?
I am working with another leading author on a chapter [of the IPBES]. I will continue to contribute to the economic component of this chapter. The whole process will take at least a couple of years.
What have you got from the participation in the conference? What were your impressions of the conference?
It was a great pleasure to meet the leading scientists in Europe. These people are well established scholars, so I learned a lot from them, especially through writing alongside them.
Why is the IPBES important?
The overall aim of our assessment is to see the impact of biodiversity, threats to human well-being, and the effectiveness of our response. Dealing with the problems of using natural resources is crucial for the Kyrgyz Republic. It’s easy to see how people benefit from nature, but, so far, little effort has been made towards sustainability. Our assessments help identify the areas where we need more support from new policies.
When is the next meeting?
Writing the regional assessment is long process so we will keep working online, but I am not sure when we will be having the next meeting.