Lean Environmental Solutions

Guide · Kyrgyzstan

Heatwave

Heat hurts crops at flowering, cuts milk, stresses bees and is dangerous for people working in the fields.

Who and when

Crops at flowering, dairy, bees and field workers. Months: June to August, and some early spring heat (March 2025).

Getting worse.

Right now

Right now (autumn 2026)

  • 19 Jul 2026: Bishkek reached 43.5 °C, the highest July reading since 1936. There was no rain in Bishkek that July.
  • Jul 2025: the Kyrgyz Red Crescent used its ready heatwave plan to help 16,200 people. It also did so in July 2022.
  • Autumn is a good time to plan shade trees and windbreaks (plant October to November).
Before

Before: get ready

Crops and trees

  1. Plan to water at night and mulch beds and young trees. (general practice, check locally)
  2. Put up shade nets (35–50%) over tomatoes and peppers before June. Nets over 70% cut yield. (general practice, check locally)
  3. In greenhouses, open vents and use whitewash or shade screens before summer. (general practice, check locally)
  4. Choose heat-tolerant varieties when you buy seed.

Animals

  1. Plant trees or build shade where animals stand. Trees work better than sheds. (general practice, check locally)
  2. Plan more water in the shade from April to September. Animals need 10–20% more water in heat. (general practice, check locally)
  3. Get warnings: Kyrgyzhydromet's site meteo.kg and Telegram bot (t.me/meteokgbot). They give about 3 days' notice.

Money: heat is not insured. Earlier rounds of the "Financing of Agriculture" loans covered greenhouses; check whether a 2027 round opens.

During

During: when it hits

  1. Move heavy work, for people and animals, to early morning or night. (general practice, check locally)
  2. Give animals plenty of cool water all day. Concrete troughs keep water cooler than metal or black plastic. (general practice, check locally)
  3. Give enough shade for the whole flock. A little shade can be worse than none, because animals crowd. (general practice, check locally)
  4. Do not handle, vaccinate, move or truck animals in the heat. Watch for panting and drooling. Cattle over 39 °C and sheep over 41 °C are in danger. (general practice, check locally)
  5. Housed poultry and pigs: fewer animals per space, more air, more water. Outdoor pigs need a wallow above 25 °C. (general practice, check locally)
  6. Water crops at night. In May 2025 the Emergencies Ministry told farmers to irrigate generously during a heat warning.
After

After: recover

First days

  • Check animals every day.
  • Take dated photos of burnt crops and fruit.

First weeks

  • Expect lower milk, fertility and egg numbers for some weeks. Ask your vet.

Money and help

  • Record damage with photos that show date, time and place.
  • No farm insurance and no heat aid was found. The Red Crescent heat plan helps people, not farms.
Build back better

Build back better

  1. Trees or shade in paddocks and pens.
  2. Shade nets and vents in greenhouses.
  3. Water storage, so animals and crops have water in the hottest weeks.

What the farm check looks for

Dairy cows or sheep with no shade or water near them. Greenhouses with no vents or shade. Field work done at midday.

Get a free farm check

Sources