NEWS
A MEETING BRINGS BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION INTO FOCUS
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection of Turkmenistan has hosted the first meeting (via video conferencing) between representatives of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and national environmental experts. Among those participating in the event were Stephanie Ward, RSPB National Project Manager in Turkmenistan; Mark Day, RSPB’s Head of Capacity Building & Projects; Petra Kaczensky, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and an international adviser to the Commission for the Conservation of Asiatic Wild Asses, the International Union for Conservation of Nature; Sh. B. Karryeva, Central Asian Desert Initiative (CADI) Project Manager in Turkmenistan; Professor E. A. Rustamov, Chairman of the Coordination Committee of the Ramsar Regional Initiative for Central Asia; representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection of Turkmenistan J. Saparmuradov, Head of the Administration for Environment and Hydrometeorology, S. B Agajanov, Head of the Environment Protection Service, and other specialists.
The meeting discussed outcomes of the long-term collaboration in the field of biodiversity conservation and environment protection between Turkmen environmental specialists and experts of the RSPB - the British nature conservation charity that helps to protect threatened birds and wildlife.
Numerous field surveys with the participation of British specialists, scientific reports and recommendations presented by them over the last few years are illustrative examples of the fruitful cooperation between Turkmen and British experts. One of the most important outcomes of the collaborative efforts by Turkmenistan and the RSPB was the designation of 50 important bird and biodiversity areas (IBAs) in Turkmenistan.
In particular, an international expedition organized by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Great Britain) identified a site of particular importance for migration of a globally threatened species of bird – the sociable lapwing (Vanellus gregarious) in the Tallymerjen Important Bird and Biodiversity Area in Dovletli etrap in the south of Lebap Velayat. During autumn migration, the site is a stopover point for over 30 percent of the world’s remaining population of the social lapwing.
Follow-up joint expeditions of experts of Turkmenistan and Great Britain confirmed the special significance of the site for the conservation of this and other species of birds. Apart from the social lapwing, the Tallymerjen IBA is home to birds listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan, as well as many bird species of national and regional importance.
A report on the RSPB’s activities in Turkmenistan, a feasibility plan for establishing the Tallymerjen Nature Reserve, and a report on the conservation of Asiatic wild asses in Turkmenistan were presented during the meeting. A management plan was prepared with the participation of leading specialists. The meeting also considered some other issues of cooperation. The foreign participants congratulated Turkmenistan on the upcoming Neutrality Day. The next video-conference meeting will be held in late December to discuss the ongoing efforts to protect the Koytendag ecosystem and identify areas of cooperation for 2021-2025.