"When in 1991 the Soviet Union broke down and the supply of cheap coal from outside came to a sudden end, when the civil war broke out in 1992 and Gorno- Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) was isolated from the rest of the country, local people started using the only resources for heating purposes which were still available: firewood from the riparian forests in the Western parts of Gorno Badakshan, teresken shrubs on the high plains in the Eastern parts. After a few years, in many places the forests and teresken shrubs were cut down almost completely. Even today, keeping the house or at least one room warm in winter remains a key issue for local people. The inhabitants of Gorno Badakhshan continue using natural resources for this purpose, not only spending a significant percentage of their income and much labor on fuel provision, but also harming the sensitive ecosystems. Many of these problems could be mitigated if houses were properly insulated. The pressure on natural resources could be reduced and the quality of life improved...This publication contains two kinds of information: The main text describes in a rather abstract but detailed way how a micro loan product for thermal insulation may finally be working, which structures and processes may be established. The grey text boxes on the left and right provide background information and lessons learnt, mostly based on the concrete experience of [microfinance organization] MADINA."

Fabian, Andre, Heike Volkmer and Christoph Wiedemann. Micro loans for thermal insulation: A Product Documentation based on Experience in Tajik Gorno-Badakhshan. GTZ project "Support for microfinance services in rural regions" and GTZ/DED/CIM project "Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in Gorno-Badakhshan," Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, 2011.

Public Domain