RahatSabyrbekov

AUCA,NMBU
13November2015
Bishkek
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Walnutforests
Arstanbap ishometothelargestnaturalwalnutforest

intheworld
Thewalnutforestisprimarysourceofincomeoflocal
households
ThestudyconcentratedonKaraUnkurWatershed
area
Givenbynature,exploitedbyhumanwithminimal
investment

Sitedescription

Livelihoodstrategies
Theareahasthehighestpovertyrate
Themainincomesourceissmallscaleagriculture and

forest
Manymalemembersofhouseholdmigratedandwork
abroad
Localpopulationisheavilydependentonnature
Highlyvulnerabletothechangesinnatural
environment.

Survey
Summer2015
KaraUnkurWatershedarea
Facetofaceinterviews,villagelevelstratifiedrandom

sampling
About50households
3villages
EconomicsofLandDegradationInitiative,GIZ

Datadescription
Gender
48%

52%

female
male

Ethnicity

36%
64%

Kyrgyz
Uzbek

Age
Mean 45years
Youngest 21years
Householdsize
Average 6
Maximum 12
Averagenumberof
children 3.7

Womeninincomegeneration
Womenusuallyareinforestproduct

harvesting
2outof3peoplecollectingwalnutswere
women
In38%ofcaseschildrenyoungerthan15
yearsparticipatedinnutcollection
Insomecasesthereisonlymotherand
childrenareforestproductharvesting
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Womeninincomegeneration(2)
Usuallyallprocessingofforestproductsisdoneby

women
Picking
Dryingfruits
Shelling
Jampreparation
Selling

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12

Incomecomposition
Walnutforestsprovide17typesofproducts/makeupto
74%oftotalincome
HHincomestructure

26%
Forest
74%

Other

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Laborinputofwomeninhh
income
67%
33%
Female
Male

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Otherfindings
Povertyrateandshareofwomeninhh income

generationarepositivelycorrelated.
Sizeofhousehold,numberoffamilymembers
workingabroadincreaseswomensshareinincome
generation.
Womengenerallyengagedinmanuallaborwithleast
valuedaddede.g.harvesting.

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sabyrbekov_r@auca.kg
rahat.sabyrbekov@nmbu.no

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