Biodiversity_01_UNDPelv
50
9/6/12
9:13 AM
Page 50
B I O D I V E R S I T Y : D E L I V E R I N G R E S U LT S I N E U R O P E A N D T H E C I S
Redefining the scope and functions of Turkmenistan’s protected areas
Protected areas in Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is situated in the western part of Central Asia, with an area of 491,200 km2, dominated by desert and semi-desert and flanked by mountains in the south. Although 80 percent of the country is classified as desert, Turkmenistan has a very high level of species diversity, with around 3,000 known flowering plants and more than 700 vertebrates, including 105 mammals, 417 birds, 5 amphibia, 89 reptiles and 136 fish species. Many are regional endemics and some are globally threatened, including the Bukhara deer (Cervus elaphus bactrianus), north Persian leopard (Panthera pardus ssp. saxicolor), white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala) and small Amu-Dar shovelnose sturgeon (Pseudoscaphirhynchus hermanni). Turkmenistan is situated within one of the eight global centres of plant crop diversity (Asia Minor) identified by N. I. Vavilov in 1935. It harbours significant populations of the wild relatives of important crop plants, including pistachio, grapes, figs, apples, pears, cherries, plums and almonds. The western part of Turkmenistan lies on a major bird migration corridor linking the Western Palaearctic and Africa. The Caspian Sea coast of Turkmenistan is an internationally important staging post and wintering area for waterfowl migrating from the breeding grounds of the Volga Delta and areas further north.
PROJEC T:
Strengthening the management effectiveness of the protected area system of Turkmenistan (2010-2013)
The project’s overall objective is to create an enabling environment for the establishment of a functional, effective and ecologically coherent system of protected areas in Turkmenistan. At the national level, this involves working with public institutions and agencies to develop the capacity to
After independence in 1991, Turkmenistan undertook significant efforts to conserve its unique biodiversity by establishing a network of protected areas covering 3.9 percent of the country’s territory. Most protected areas are situated in mountains, forests and wetlands, while desert ecosystems are still inadequately represented. The protected area system comprises mainly strict nature reserves, with no national parks (IUCN Category II) or similar management categories. The concepts of multiple use, integrated management of natural resources and sustainable use of protected areas have not been introduced or adopted, but the strict protection approach is no longer exclusively appropriate in the new political and socio-economic context of Turkmenistan.