Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change carried out an inventory of the country’s natural objects of national importance, including unique and inimitable ecosystems, types of biodiversity, reservoirs and natural landscapes, as a result of which a list of national natural heritage sites has been approved.

The project was implemented in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic, Uzbekistan “On measures to transform the sphere of ecology and environmental protection and organize the activities of the authorized government body.”

The scope of the research included perennial valuable and unique trees, juniper groves, bush thickets, natural geological structures (gorges and rocks), rivers, natural lakes, and springs, streams and waterfalls, as well as glaciers, swamps, deserts and dunes, significant plant growing areas and animal habitats, natural landscapes and other ornithological areas, as well as state-protected nature reserves and natural parks.

Objects of national natural heritage were classified in accordance with the national legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan according to their characteristics. Namely, on the types of objects of biological, hydrological, geological and paleontological natural heritage.

As a result of the research carried out by the Ministry’s specialists, a total of 177 objects of national natural heritage were selected (including nature reserves and national natural parks). Among them:

- 16 biological objects, consisting of wooded areas, juniper groves, bush thickets and natural areas;

- 82 hydrological objects, including 50 springs, 14 lakes, 3 rivers, 10 waterfalls, 4 streams and the Aral Sea;

- 31 geological objects, which include 10 caves, 5 gorges, 10 mountains, cliffs and cliffs, 6 deserts, dunes and dunes;

- paleontological object “Trace of the Dinosaur”.

In addition, the list includes 7 state reserves, 1 complex (landscape) reserve and 13 reserves, 13 national natural parks and 11 natural monuments.

At the same time, transboundary sites included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List are the Western Tien Shan (2016) and the Turan deserts of the temperate zone (Ustyurt Plateau / 2023), as well as the Chatkal Biosphere Reserve (1978) and included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The Lower Amudarya Biosphere Reserve (2021) is also included in the list of National Natural Heritage sites.

The sites included in the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance mainly as habitats for waterfowl, including Lake Dengizkul (2002), the Aidar-Arnasay Lake System (2008), and the Tudakul Natural Reservoir, have not been left without attention. , Kuyimozor Reservoir (2008) and Lake Sudochye (2023).

It is planned that the implementation of the project to submit nominations of National Natural Heritage sites to international lists within the framework of cooperation programs with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), UNESCO and FAO, as well as the results obtained in this direction will be of great importance in the broad promotion of natural monuments of our country among the world community and further increase the national tourism potential.