Bektur Stamkulov is a journalist with RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service.
Kyrgyzstan's Lake Issyk-Kul has been shrinking at an alarming rate over the past decade, receding by up to 10 meters in some places, according to research. One of the world's largest alpine lakes is threatened by climate change, drought, and melting glaciers.
Jamila Toichubekova, 70, from Kyrgyzstan's northern district of Jumgal, used to work in a shop, but then she got a loan, bought herself a tractor, and built a family business that keeps on growing.
Every spring, hundreds of shepherds and herders across Kyrgyzstan move into mountainous pastures on a long, complex, and often dangerous route. Modern Kyrgyz nomads need to travel higher into the mountains than they did a few years ago in search of greener places to keep their animals.
