In Harmony with Nature Preserving the biodiversity in the country

Uzbekistan is the country that has a rich variety of fauna and flora. Thanks to favorable climatic conditions the natural environment is successfully preserved here. Today, one of the main tasks of the protected regions is to preserve natural landscapes, rare and valuable species of animals and plants in natural conditions, for the subsequent enrichment of other territories by them. Experts working there urge to cooperate actively with local population, to find such forms and methods of work that will allow them to understand the importance of the wild nature, the role of protected natural territories in preservation of life on the Earth.

The network of protected natural areas subordinated to four departments play the major role in preservation of biological variety of our country. The Hissor Reserve is under the authority of the State Committee of Uzbekistan for Nature Protection. Baday-To’qay, Zomin, Zarafshon, Qizilqum, Nurota, Surhon reserves are under supervision of the Central Administrative Board on Forestry of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management. The State Committee on Geology and Mineral Resources controls Kitob Reserve, while Chotqol Biosphere Reserve is under direction of the Tashkent Regional Hokimiyat. The system of protected natural territories of Uzbekistan also includes two national parks, ten state reserves, six nature monuments and the Republican Center for cultivation of rare species of animals – the ecological center Jeyran.

The state nature preservations occupy a key position in this network, for sure. “These territories – deserts and steppes, mountain landscapes and forests we try to preserve in the primordial form. The nature in preservations, its wild inhabitants can live under the law of the nature,” notes Gulshod Shagiahmetova, a key specialist for the department on protection of natural territories of the Republican State Inspection on Guards and Rational Use of Fauna and Flora (StateBioControl).

According to the Law of the Republic Uzbekistan “On protected natural areas” the certain regime forbidding any activity of the person is established with a view of preservation, reproduction and restoration of natural objects in protected natural territories. The all-the-year-round supervision over a life of the wild nature and environment monitoring are conducted here only. For example, in Hissor Reserve experts and scientists conduct researches on biology of mammals and species of plants listed in the Red Book. Besides, they conduct methodologies on breeding of animals in captivity. And, since 1995, the Zarafshon Reserve specialists work on breeding of the Bukhoro deer.

Zomin Reserve locating on the northern slopes of the Turkiston ridge is considered one of the oldest ones. Mountain and archa ecosystems here are under protection, as well as white-nailed bear, bearded vulture, black stork. More than 700 species of plants, 13 species of which listed in the Red Book of Republic Uzbekistan grow in the territory of the reserve.

The largest on the territory is Hissor Reserve with total area over 800 square kilometers. It is located in Qashaqadaryo region on the western slopes of Hissor Ranges. Such representatives of fauna as Central Asian cobra, bearded vulture, Himalayan griffon, black vulture, griffon vulture, golden eagle, saker falcon, eagle, white-nailed bear, snow leopard, Turkiston lynx, and Iranian otter are among the species listed in Uzbekistan’s Red Book.

And the Chotqol Biosphere Reserve is widely known to us for its primitive petroglyphs telling us about life of our ancestors.

Hatcheries on breeding rare species of animals are considered one of the most effective forms of wildlife management and biodiversity preservation. Today, only one center officially operates in Uzbekistan - the Republican Center for breeding rare species of animals, the ecocenter Jeyran, that was organized in 1977 in Bukhoro region. The main purpose of the center is to increase population of rare species of animals, particularly, goitered gazelle, Przewalski horse, koulan, Bukhoro ram and markhor (wild goat with corkscrew horns). Academics from various countries of the world – Germany, France, Russia, etc conduct their scientific-research activity here. “For instance, experts from Germany study here sound effects and behavior of goitered gazelles. Besides, specialists successfully use the methods on breeding the Bukhoro ram on the territory of the center. Recently, the center has made the contract with the Termiz Zoo. And a female markhor was brought to the center,” marks Gulshod Shagiahmetova.

Uzbekistan, attaching great importance to the nature protection, has ratified a number of international conventions, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on Migratory Species, Convention on Preservation of Water-Marshlands, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Today, the Republican State Inspection on Guards and Rational Use of Fauna and Flora closely cooperates with such world organizations as WWF, UNDP, UNESCO.