Regional representative for West and Central Asia and the Caucasus
Based in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Aibek is a researcher at Aigine Cultural Research Center. He has been working on documenting sacred sites as well as traditional ecological knowledge of local communities in Kyrgyzstan. In his work, he seeks to understand how sacred sites can enhance biocultural conservation both within and outside of formal protected areas. Another vein of his research is on livelihoods, commons and adaptative strategies of the local communities living in the Syr Darya River Delta (near the notorious Aral Sea). Aibek has also been involved into international science-policy platforms such as the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
