Environmental conservation work in Central Asia

WWF in Central Asia

Central Asia includes 5 countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Despite the many shared cultural, historical and environmental features of the 5 states, the region is a vast land of great contrasts in climate and elevation. Some areas within Central Asia are a virtual “crossroads” of species, where representatives of both Asian and Mediterranean flora meet.

WWF has been working here since 1996, and since then some results have been achieved: 

• The number of Bukhara deer in the wild has increased from 350 in 1999 to around 1000 in 2006;
• The water level in the Tigrovaya Balka Reserve in Tajikistan has been restored, safeguarding the continued existence of the wetlands and holding out a chance of survival for the Bukhara deer;
• WWF has built up close government contacts within the five countries. This is an important imperative for establishing the cross-border Econet;
• Considerable reduction in the poaching of the leopard’s prey and greatly increased appreciation of the local population for the leopard as the national icon;
• A compensation programme has been set up - now farmers receive compensation when they lose cattle to leopards;
• The number of leopards has increased and become stable.
  

News & feature stories

11 Jul 2008
First UNESCO World Heritage Site created in Central Asia

UNESCO has included the site “Saryarka - steppes and lakes of Northern Kazakhstan” into the World Heritage List. The World heritage status will allow preserving rare species of migratory birds and the Saiga antelope

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