In early July 2026, training sessions on the SMART Patrol system were held in Penjikent and Samarkand for inspectors of Specially Protected Natural Areas (SPNAs) from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Now, instead of paper logs, inspectors can use rugged smartphones for patrolling and see in real time where the most violations are recorded, as well as track the population dynamics of rare species.
SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) is an advanced tool for analyzing and reporting on ranger patrols. The program covers over 1200 protected areas in more than 100 countries, and has been adopted at the state level in 20 of them. For example, “smart” patrolling has already been introduced in Uzbekistan at the South Ustyurt National Park, the Saigachy Integrated Landscape Reserve, and the Surkhan Nature Reserve. Tajikistan has also begun implementing the system within its National Network of SPNAs.
“We are going beyond ordinary oversight by implementing a comprehensive biodiversity monitoring system. During the training, we used the program to record rare animal species inhabiting the tugai forests of the Zarafshan River basin, logging not only visual encounters but also traces, sounds, or even discovered remains. This creates a ‘digital passport’ of the ecosystem,” noted Firdavs Khudoyorov, Head of the Department of Nature Reserves and Natural Parks at the State Institution “Specially Protected Natural Areas” under the Committee for Environmental Protection of Tajikistan. “SMART also aligns with the new strategy of the Committee for Environmental Protection and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan regarding the introduction and application of digital technologies for managing environmental and biodiversity monitoring.”
During the five-day training sessions, participants learned how to record violations in the mobile app, such as illegal livestock grazing, deforestation, and poaching, as well as how to log wildlife observations directly in the field. Next, they practiced processing the data and creating detailed patrol maps and reports. A separate module was dedicated to programming the system for the monitoring of specific animal species.
“The implementation of SMART in Zarafshan Park is changing the very perception of our work. We cease to be just territory patrollers and become field analysts. When you see your route and results on a digital map, you realize that every step you take is vital for the protection of the park. It provides a clear sense of accomplishment and brings transparency to the massive amount of work we do,” shared Abror Bakhmalov, an inspector at the Zarafshan National Park in Uzbekistan.
The training sessions are organized as part of the regional programme “Climate Risk Management in Central Asia” (CRM CA). They were conducted by Michiel Hotte, an ecologist and international wildlife conservation expert from the Netherlands:
“It has been a privilege to work with the rangers and their managers as they learned to use SMART in their daily operations. Throughout the training, I was impressed by their commitment to accurate data collection during patrols, data management, and evidence-based decision-making. With SMART now introduced in these two protected areas, local staff are now well equipped to collect, analyze, and use field information effectively, helping to improve biodiversity protection for the long term”.
The measure itself is part of a broader series of adaptation measures based on the climate risk assessments conducted by CRM CA across five transboundary river basins. Thus, the implementation of SMART is being rolled out for staff in both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, serving as an example of successful cross-border cooperation in nature conservation in the face of the climate crisis.
