Uzbekistan hosted its first national training on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Organized by the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the training aimed to enhance national expertise in assessing species extinction risks and promoting evidence-based conservation.
“Just one day after IUCN opened its new Central Asia Office in Tashkent, we demonstrated the value of our partnership with Uzbekistan by co-organising the country’s first-ever IUCN Red List training,” said Dr. Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General, during the opening session. “This joint effort shows our strong and mutual commitment to action – and our ambition to make the Tashkent office a centre of excellence for conservation in the region.”
Dr. Aguilar emphasized the significance of the Red List as one of IUCN’s most powerful tools for tracking extinction risks and guiding global conservation efforts.
“We are proud to bring this training to Uzbekistan, building national capacity for biodiversity assessment and conservation,” she added.
Uzbekistan, with its diverse desert, steppe, and mountain ecosystems, is home to many endemic and rare species that are increasingly receiving scientific attention. Since joining IUCN in 2021, the country has made notable progress in biodiversity research and protection.
“In recent years, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has advanced large-scale reforms for environmental sustainability,” noted Shakhlo Turdikulova, Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan. “Since joining IUCN, 28 rare plant species have already been included in the IUCN Red List thanks to the work of our scientists.”
She further highlighted Uzbekistan’s growing role in international scientific cooperation, with local experts actively participating in various IUCN commissions and expert groups.
The training brought together national experts, researchers, and conservation practitioners to improve biodiversity assessment methods, identify at-risk species, and align with global conservation standards. These initiatives support Uzbekistan’s efforts to build a comprehensive national Red List and integrate scientific evidence into environmental policymaking.
As Uzbekistan has declared 2025 the Year of Environmental Protection and the Green Economy, the training marks a timely and strategic milestone. The establishment of IUCN’s Central Asia Office in Tashkent is expected to accelerate conservation efforts across the region.
Looking ahead, similar training sessions will be organized on IUCN knowledge tools, including the IUCN global ecosystem typology and the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, as Uzbekistan deepens its engagement in global biodiversity initiatives.
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