Abstract
This article examines how non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Central Asia adapt to ‘shrinking civic space’ through a diverse set of coping strategies. Drawing on 48 interviews and extensive fieldwork in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan (2022–2024), it demonstrates how NGOs respond to regulatory repression by employing both inward- (professionalisation, diversification, simulation) and outward-looking (boomerang tactics, GONGO-isation) accommodation strategies. While NGOs in Uzbekistan face GONGO-isation under strict state control, those in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have a lower degree of GONGO-isation and employ a broader array of coping tactics to evolve and sustain their operations. Contrary to the assumption that restrictive environments lead solely to de-professionalisation and informalisation, this study demonstrates the adaptability of NGOs in Central Asia. This advances theoretical discussions on civil society under autocratic pressure by reframing NGOs not merely as regime victims or co-opted actors but as resilient and challenging agents operating within constraints.