Central Asian mountain regions are highly vulnerable to climate change, which threatens both humans and wildlife. Migratory species such as the argali sheep, show leopard, etc. adapt by altering their movement patterns and habitat use, which may render existing protected areas ineffective and expose animals to the threats. Fences and roads pose barriers to the movement of flagship species in search of suitable habitat and food, reducing their resilience. Moreover, livestock grazing has increased in duration and shifted to higher elevation due to climate change, often leading to human-wildlife conflict, poaching and encroachment on species habitats. In addition, low awareness exists of the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and associated ecosystem services and human communities. This side event, organized by the Kyrgyz government, UNEP, CMS and GRID Arendal, will explore the interface between biodiversity conservation and ecosystem-based adaptation of communities in Central Asian mountain environments. It aims to provide examples of how biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management can better anticipate climate change in management planning, and how ecosystem-based adaptation can support such conservation measures through community engagement. The event will examine these synergies at the local, national and regional levels.