The Aarhus Center in Bishkek with the support of the OSCE Program Office in Bishkek summed up the results of the environmental competition “Eco-Journalist 2021” among media representatives. This competition was announced on April 25, 2021 and was supposed to end by June 1, 2021. However, in connection with the Covid 19 pandemic and the political events that took place in Kyrgyzstan, the summing up of the competition had to be postponed, and the competition itself had to be continued until September.

Summing up the results of the competition was also timed to the professional holiday of journalists – the Day of Press and Information.

The terms of the contest were announced on the pages of the website “Network of Aarhus Centers of Kyrgyzstan” and our partners from public organizations. A total of 44 works were studied, of which 18 contestants were selected for the award in the nominations. All of them were divided into 5 categories:

– work on the pages of printed publications,

– work on the pages of online publications,

– work on TV or radio,

– work of eco-activists,

– the best team of the print edition.

The winners are:

a) among the printed publications (newspapers) – Abdrisaev Ermek, head of the department of KNIA “Kabar” for the article “The ecology of Bishkek is getting worse and worse. And where is green energy?”; Akimov Zhumabai, journalist of the newspaper “Super Info” for the article “Bishkek is covered by black smoke fog”; Toktogulov Mirhamid, journalist of the newspaper “Fabulla Press” for the article “Yyyyk zher – Suu”; Julia Khizhnyakova, journalist of the newspaper “Megapolis” for the article “Overcoming the smog”.

b) among the online publications – Anastasia Bengard, a journalist of the news portal “24 kg” for the article “Bishkek is drying up. What does “Zelenkhoz” do and how are the experiments on oak trees”; Kerimbekov Chyngyz, correspondent of the financial bulletin “Akchabar” for the article “Earn for ecology: how the trust fund will help to preserve biodiversity in the Kyrgyz Republic”; Gulmira Makanbai kyzy, journalist of “24 kg” for the article “Destruction of Terek-Sai. How the authorities exchanged ecology for big taxes”; Ksenia Milokhova, a Cactus journalist for the article “How Kaktus.media handed over a bucket of batteries”.

c) among TV and radio – Aktanov Ermek, correspondent of “Birinchi Radio” for reporting on the problems of preserving the environment; Kurmanova Aigul, host of the program “Evening of Labor Day” on “TV1”; Oroskulov Taalaibek, host of the radio program “Special accent” – “Radio Sputnik”; Perizat Saitburkhan, host of “Tegirmen” program on NEXT TV.

d) among eco-activists – Irina Bayramukova for the article “The impact of the Bishkek sanitary landfill: how to deal with pollutants”; Karypov Ismail for the article “Why should these stripes scare us all? plastic)”; Sarymsakov Belek for the article “How to improve the ecology of Bishkek. The opinion of a concerned urban planner.”

e) among the teams – the information portal “Akipress” and the newsroom “VB.kg” for a number of articles in the section “Ecology”.

All of them were awarded diplomas on behalf of the Aarhus Center Bishkek and the OSCE Program Office in Bishkek and a set of valuable gifts. After the award ceremony all participants took part in a tea party prepared by the organizers of the event.