During the 45th extended meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from September 10 to 25, UNESCO recognized the transboundary natural site "Turanian deserts in the temperate region," in which Uzbekistan is involved. It has been added to the list of world natural heritage sites, Uzbekistan's Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change reports.
The process of preparing the transnomination dossier project commenced in early 2020 as part of the Central Asian Desert Initiative (CADI) project. It received support from the Ministry of Ecology, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, University of Greifswald (Germany), Michael Sukkov Foundation (Germany), and cooperation with the German Society for International Cooperation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Minister Aziz Abduhakimov of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Ecology commented on this achievement, highlighting the regional cooperation between the three countries in preparing this nomination. Uzbekistan's President issued a decision on May 31, 2023, for the inclusion of this site in the UNESCO list.
Part of the candidacy was developed in collaboration with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. This recognition marks the second time Uzbekistan has been involved in a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, with the "Western Tien-Shan" site, which includes Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, being included in the list in 2016.
The "Turanian Deserts in the Temperate Region" is the first UNESCO-listed object in the category of temperate deserts. Uzbekistan's portion of this site is situated in the Aralboyi region and the Ustyurt plateau, comprising five contiguous components covering over 2mn hectares. These components include Saigachi, Saigachi-Beleuli, Saigachi-Duana, Saigachi-Jideyli (all belonging to the North Ustyurt cluster), and South Ustyurt.
The inclusion of the "Turonian Deserts in the Temperate Region" in the UNESCO list requires its protection under the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972. Furthermore, it provides opportunities for further cooperation in effectively managing these sites, and studying and implementing advanced international practices in conserving and promoting flora and fauna.
Previously, the Great Silk Road Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor was also added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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