Wildlife and protected areas remain under threat in Turkmenistan

Capacity is insufficient to safeguard the long-term survival of wildlife in Turkmenistan.

A new report by several international organizations and the government of Turkmenistan, “Assessment of Wildlife and Protected Areas of Turkmenistan 2024”, highlights ongoing threats to the country’s biodiversity, discussed in a 2023 report previously and summarized by Progres.Online.

While some progress has been made, such as Turkmenistan’s ratification of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, many critical issues from the 2023 report remain unresolved. Poaching persists, and scientific monitoring beyond border fences is still restricted by the government.

The report highlights that the staffand volunteers working within the protected areas and those patrolling future protected areas show “incredible commitment, enthusiasm, and resilience to do their work” and that their commitment is “even more important given the limited resources they have available and the sheer size of challenges”.

Conditions of protected areas in 2024

• Badhyz State Nature Reserve continues to deteriorate due to extensive poaching, presence of livestock, and pistachio harvesting, which is against the law.
• Kopetdag State Nature Reserve: the area beyond the border is not accessible and has its benefits for the wildlife in a form of protection, but also obstructs ecological connectivity.
• Balkan and Garabogazgol: the report proposes to have a 1900 km² protected areas in Garabogazgol/Ustyurt. These areas are still heavily impacted by poaching. The Balkan Department of Environment is trying to tackle poaching and other violations and attempts to apprehend violators. A camera network is being installed to deter poaching.
• Kaplankyr State Nature Reserve: the reserve was recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It received support (uniforms and equipment) and benefited from a UNDP project.
• Koytendag State Nature Reserve: efforts to address poaching and habitat degradation continue. The work was done to build the capacity of the personnel, improving monitoring, and cooperation with Uzbekistan. The Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Toll (SMART) system was introduced which collects quality patrol data and produces quarterly reports with wildlife observations and violations. Some issues remain. For example, domestic livestock belonging to the reserve itself is still allowed to graze and degrade the habitat, thus sending a wrong message to other livestock owners.

What has been done?

The report outlines the following achievements in the protection of wild species and places in Turkmenistan:

• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) ratification that strengthens the legal protection of CITES listed species and improves the wildlife trade regulations.
• A Memorandum of Cooperation for Wildlife Conservation on the Ustyurt Plateau was signed with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
• Turkmenistan participated in the 14th Conference of Parties (COP) Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.
• A proposal to create a Balkan protected areas cluster, including Uly Balkan, Kichi Balkan, and Garabogazgol/Ustyurt, with a total area of more than 3000 km², has been prepared and submitted.

New wildlife observations in 2024

The report mainly focuses on wild cats and their ecosystems:

• Leopard population estimates rose slightly from 60-70 in 2023 to 60-80 in 2024, but habitat fragmentation, prey loss, and human-wildlife conflict remain major threats. Sightings increased in Kopetdag, Balkan, and Garabogazgol, but also a young leopard was found dead in Kopetdag while those responsible were not apprehended.
• Caracals were observed in Kaplankyr and Garabogazgol, further reinforcing the claims to set Garabogazgol as a protected area.
• Manuls were observed, but are reported to be highly vulnerable to dog predation, while sand cats were not observed last year at all, which may also be caused by hunting dog predation.
• Other species, including gazelles, wild goats, and hares, also face extreme poaching issues. However, for the first time hares have been observed in Uly Balkan and Garabogazkol in 2024, which indicates increased protection efforts.

Recommendations

A list of recommendations has been proposed in the latest report, including many carried over from 2023:

• Build national scientific capacity by training new zoologists specializing in different types of animals;
• Develop and approve “Model Regulations on Ecological Corridors, Buffer/Protected Zones, and OECMs” in accordance with the Law “On Special Protected Natural Areas”;
• Grant permission to conduct scientific monitoring and inspection beyond the border;
• Strengthen anti-poaching measures with higher fines and better enforcement;
• Equip the ranges with transport and uniforms;
• Institutionalize SMART monitoring in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, integrate its use in the management of all protected areas, and appoint a SMART coordination in the Department of Flora and Fauna Protection of the Ministry of Environmental Protection;
• Cooperate with Turkmen border service and the colleagues in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to modify fences and restore ecological connectivity;
• Increase awareness and conservation efforts with local communities;
• Conduct monitoring to study the status of the Red Data Book animal species of Turkmenistan.

The report calls also for expanding protected areas, including granting conservation status to Tersakan valley and Karayalchi Natural Monument. Extensive recommendations are also provided for each protected area in Turkmenistan, including recommendations to start enforcing a ban on livestock inside the reserves, stopping poaching, increasing the manpower and infrastructure.