Kyrgyzstan, officially called the Kyrgyz Republic, is a small and highly mountainous former Soviet republic situated in northeast Central Asia (Figure 1). It is surrounded by the Pamir-Alay Mountains to the southwest and the Tien-Shan range to the northeast; the Tien-Shan ridge predominates. Ninety-four percent of the land area is located above 1000 m; 40% is above 3000 m, with large glaciers and permanent snow. The average altitude is 2750 m. Since gaining independence in 1991, the Kyrgyz Republic has undergone a difficult transition from a command and supply economy to a market-oriented one, embracing a democratic system of governance. The government has strongly promoted decentralized local governance and community development through the formation of local self-governing bodies and emphasis on intensive mobilization of human resources and local capital at the grassroots level. In reaction to the government's commitment to promote a high degree of local governance for community development, the UNDP-supported Decentralization Program began to help mobilize mountain communities in the Kyrgyz Republic to initiate community development efforts that would meet the needs of villages in Kyrgyzstan.
