On November 28, the Regional Dialogue on Transboundary Nature Conservation in Central Asia took place in Tashkent, which is a significant step in advancing this common agenda. The event was attended by representatives of the governments of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as numerous national and international organisations.
The Regional Dialogue was organised by the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Bank and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Society for International Cooperation). The dialogue was part of activities supported by the World Bank’s Resilient Landscapes in Central Asia (RESILAND CA+) Programme and three regional programmes implemented by GIZ that encourage cooperation among Central Asian countries in relevant areas: Green Central Asia, Integrative and Climate-Sensitive Land-Use in Central Asia (ILUCA) and Ecologically Oriented Development of the Aral Sea Region (ECO ARAL).
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Ecosystems separated by boundaries are often subject to different policies and governance structures. Transboundary conservation is a way to overcome these differences by promoting cooperation between relevant parties in the participating countries. It provides a range of benefits – from environmental ones, such as thriving wildlife and increased ecosystem services, to political cooperation fostering friendly relations between border-sharing countries, economic cooperation and social development.
Transboundary conservation promotes the long-term survival of migratory species by increasing the area managed for conservation purposes, reducing fragmentation, and improving landscape connectivity. This is of great importance for Central Asia, where the most important migration corridors are located ensuring the movement of herds of wild gazelle, saigas, and other unique species of wild animals.
