Initial situation/Biodiversity and nature conservation

The Central Asian region is home to a remarkable diversity of ecosystems - from the steppes of Kazakhstan to the cold winter deserts of Turkmenistan and the high mountains of the Pamir. These ecosystems are not only of global ecological importance, but are also essential for the provision of key ecosystem services such as climate regulation, erosion control and water storage. At the same time, biodiversity in the region is increasingly exposed to anthropogenic and climatic stress factors.

The projects presented here are dedicated to the protection, sustainable use and scientific evaluation of this biodiversity. Large-scale conservation initiatives such as Altyn Dala and CADI pursue the goal of securing endangered habitats in the long term. In addition, scientific-political interface projects such as the IPBES Assessment for Europe and Central Asia address the need for evidence-based biodiversity policy action. Conceptual considerations on the establishment of a regional biodiversity platform also reflect current discourses on the promotion of transdisciplinary cooperation structures in the field of biodiversity conservation.

Publications and information platforms

Publikations

• IPBES (2018): The IPBES regional assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for Europe and Central Asia. Rounsevell, M., Fischer, M., Torre-Marin Rando, A. and Mader, A. (eds.). Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Bonn, Germany. 892 pages. Report
• Volis, S. (2023). Conservation of Central Asian plant biodiversity. Plant Divers. Cent. Asia, 2, 6-39. REVIEW Article
• Nowak, A., Świerszcz, S., Nowak, S., Hisorev, H., Klichowska, E., Wróbel, A., Nobis, A. & Nobis, M. (2020). Red List of vascular plants of Tajikistan–the core area of the Mountains of Central Asia global biodiversity hotspot. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 6235. Research Article

Websites

• Europe and Central Asia Network of organisations engaging IPBES

Projects

project name	duration	country/region	executive organisation	funding	objective
Central Asian Desert Initiative (CADI)	2016-2022	Central Asia	Succow Stiftung	Internationalen Klimaschutzinitiative (IKI); BMUV	Protection and sustainable use of cold winter deserts
National Project Yashil Makon (“Green Land”)	2021-2030	UZB	Republic of UZB	Republic of UZB	Planting of 200 million trees and bushes annually until 2030
Strengthening the network of protected areas in Uzbekistan's Ferghana Valley	2021-2023	UZB	Succow Stiftung	Ciritial Ecosystem Partnership Fund; WWF	Study flora and fauna of the sandy areas in the provinces of Fergana and Namangan in order to increase their conservation value.
JuniperCA	2019-2022	TJK, KGZ	Institute for Landscape Planning and Ecology, University of Stuttgart	BLE;Forschung für internationale, nachhaltige Waldbewirtschaftung	optimization of forest management in the biodiversity hotspot of the Pamiro-Alay-System. focusses on juniper stands in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Altyn Dala: Conservation Initiative	2009-ongoing	KAZ	above all, Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan (ACBK), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Frankfurter Zoological Society (ZGF)	among others; Darwin Initiative	overall goal: conserve and restore the Kazakh steppe; e. g. Investige the impact of changes in agriculture on plant and animal communities in the steppe; evaluate the threat and conservation status of steppe species and communities and make recommendations for specific conservation measures.
Möglichkeiten zur Errichtung einer Biodiversitätsplattform in Zentralasien	2020-2021	Central Asia	Institut für Biodiversität	Norwegian Environment Agency	The aim was to explore the possibilities for establishing a regional biodiversity platform in Central Asia and to examine the experiences of existing national or regional platforms in other countries or regions.
Strengthening the World Biodiversity Council IPBES by capacity building in the EECCA region	2021-2024	transnational	Institut für Biodiversität	Advisory Assistance Programme (AAP) [...] – Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection	The project promoted the use of IPBES findings in environmental policy decisions in partner countries. It increased awareness of IPBES, built stakeholder capacity through workshops and training materials in English and Russian, and prepared participants for effective engagement in IPBES processes and plenary meetings.
Integrated Natural Resources Management for Improved Ecosystem Conservation and Biodiversity Preservation	2024-?	UZB	Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change	GEF Trust Fund	The project aims to promote integrated farming systems that boost productivity while conserving soils, water, grasslands, and biodiversity through holistic ecosystem management.
Conservation and Sustainable Management of High-Value Arid Ecosystems in the Lower Amu Darya Basin	2022-2027	TJK	National Biodiversity and Biosafety Center	GEF Trust Fund	Secure high value arid ecosystem biodiversity and associated ecosystem services, while ensuring resilient and sustainable livelihoods in Tajikistan’s lower Amu Darya landscape.
Conservation and sustainable management of lakes, wetlands, and riparian corridors as pillars of a resilient and land degradation neutral Aral basin landscape supporting sustainable livelihoods	2018-2023	UZB	State Committee on Ecology and Environment Protection	GEF Trust Fund	The objective of the project is to enhance the resilience of the ecosystems and livelihoods in Lower Amudarya and Aral Sea Basin (LADAB) through land degradation neutrality (LDN) compatible integrated land-water management in the productive landscapes.
Conservation and Sustainable Use of Agricultural Biodiversity to Improve Regulating and Supporting Ecosystem Services in Agriculture Production	2016-2021	UZB	State Committee of Nature Protection of Uzbekistan Republic; Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan Republic; Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of UzR; Institute of Genetics and Plant Experimental Biology of the Academy of Sciences of UzR; Bioversity International, (regional office for Central Asia, Tashkent).	GEF Trust Fund	To mainstream the conservation and use of fruit tree biodiversity to enhance ecosystem services and thereby improve the resiliency of traditional agricultural production systems in water-scarce environments.
In situ/on farm conservation and use of agricultural biodiversity (horticultural crops and wild fruit species) in Central Asia	2006-2012	Central Asia	The Academy of Agricultural Science	GEF Trust Fund	The purpose is to provide farmers, institutes and local communities with knowledge, methodology and policies to conserve globally significant in situ/on-farm horticultural crops and wild fruit species in Central Asia.
Biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods improvement in southern Tajikistan	2024-2027	TJK	Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) - UK	Darwin Initative	The aim is to diversify home gardens and orchards, and restoring degraded woodland habitats, will realise benefits for all - people and biodiversity.
Small but mighty: empowering Tajik conservation organisations through capacity building	2024-2026	TJK	Fauna and Flora International (FFI) – UK	Darwin Initative	This initiative is designed to strengthen and connect three Tajik CSOs by offering customized training, mentorship, and the opportunity to connect with other stakeholders within civil society and government agencies to create and fund high-impact people-centred conservation approaches.
Improving participatory conservation of fruit and nut forests in Tajikistan	2012-2013	TJK	Fauna and Flora International (FFI) – UK	Darwin Initative	The project aimed to engage stakeholders to identify key challenges, develop a clear understanding of the context, create mitigation strategies, and collaboratively design a project concept with clear roles and responsibilities.
Mentoring GEN Fellows to incubate Global South biodiversity-livelihoods initiatives	2023-2025	Central Asia	GDF - Global Diversity Foundation	Darwin Initative
Know your onions: sustainable plant use in Tajikistan	2019-2022	TJK	RBGE - Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh; Fauna and Flora International (FFI) – UK	Darwin Initative	The project aims to reduce overharvesting and protect plant biodiversity in Tajikistan by supporting community-based cultivation of threatened species. It promotes sustainable livelihoods through small-scale agro-biodiversity plots, marketing, and awareness-raising activities.
Conserving Eden: participatory forest management in the Tian-Shan region	2009-2012	KYR	University of Bournemouth – CCEEC	Darwin Initative	Strengthened national and local capacity applied to improve the sustainability of management of the fruit and nut forests of the Tian-Shan region of Kyrgyzstan.