Abstract ID: 3.10949 | Accepted as Poster | Talk | TBA | TBA

Background: There is a wide gap in effectiveness of aid and development assistance on social, economic, and environmental policies and practices, especially in lower-middle income countries. Taking a synthesis approach to aid (in)effectiveness, this scoping review focuses the impact of development assistance on environmental sustainability policies and practices in Kyrgyzstan. Based on the analysis of selected academic publications for the period of 2000-2023, this study provides a qualitative and quantitative synthesis of policies and practices. Methods: A scoping review has been applied as main methodology for data collection, analysis and synthesis. The study found (n= 80) academic publications eligible. Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria, Protocol, and the PRISMA flow chart for Scoping Reviews (ScR) have been applied. Besides the standard study characteristics this scoping review has extracted results by means of mapping policies, aid projects, locations, and organizations/agencies, impacts (negative, positive), and recommendations. Results: The output indicators or evidence found in the studies were mapped to SDG goals and targets. Due to limitation of SDG as an analytical framework, the study further suggests to better integrate an asset-based approach on integrating evidence mapping practices in aid (in)effectiveness research. Despite the political instabilities in the country in the last two decades, the statement that aid and development assistance have failed to improve social, economic, and environmental policies simply is not accurate. Without development assistance, Kyrgyzstan would not have achieved numerous national and international policies such as ‘poverty mainstreaming’, ‘mountain agenda’, ‘green economy’, some of which have been implemented with tangible outcomes for socio-ecological indicators. Substantial efforts have been made by aid agencies to improve environmental policies and practices in the country. This is vivid in improvement of social, human, natural, and economic assets.