Two New Protected Areas Established in the Kyzylkum Desert in Uzbekistan

Author: Rustam Murzakhanov, Michael Succow Foundation.

Under a presidential decree two new protected areas will be established in the Kyzylkum desert in Uzbekistan. The Central Kyzylkum National Park will be based in Uchkuduk district, Navoi region, on an area of 1.2 million hectares, and the Aktau-Tamdy State Nature Reserve (Zapodevnik) in Tamdy district covering 40,000 hectares.

Both areas will be administered by der the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Environmental Protection to preserve the unique ecosystems of the Kyzylkum desert, which provide habitat for endangered migratory species, including Goitered Gazelles, saker falcon, vultures and other migratory birds. The Government of Uzbekistan, being aware of the global responsibility for the conservation of temperate deserts, has been consistently creating new protected areas in recent years.