How the Central Asian countries celebrated World Wetlands Day: Kazakhstan

On the International Wetlands Day a round table on the topic “Problems of preserving lakes of the Naurzum Reserve” was held by the initiative of the Public Association “Public Ecological Organization “Naurzum” at the Naurzum State Nature Reserve of Kazakhstan.

During the meeting, the current state of reservoirs, current threats related to the filling of the Aksuat system, proposals for regulating problematic issues and creating a working group on the conservation of lakes of the reserve were presented. The akim of the Naurzum district, a representative of the prosecutor's office, an employee of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, the management and staff of the reserve took part in the discussion of issues.

As you know, the Naurzum lake system is a Ramsar site, which is certified by the secretariat of the Bonn Convention, and is also included in the list of key ornithological territories and the UNESCO list. The high international status of the lakes is due to the unique geographical location and natural features of the region. The largest migratory route of waterfowl and near-water birds in Eurasia passes here. The avifauna of the lakes of the reserve is represented by 120 species, 20 of which are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan and 13 in the list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Among them, it is especially worth noting such rare species of birds as: the squeaky goose, the red–throated goose, the white crane.

Brief reference

It should be noted that the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) contributes to the implementation of the Ramsar Convention. With the support of GIZ and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, CAREC supports the Ramsar Regional Initiative of Central Asia (RRI-CA). The RRI-CA’s objectives:

• Support for the implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Ramsar Convention in Central Asia;
• Promoting the effective conservation and sustainable use of existing and potential Ramsar wetlands in the region;
• Raising awareness of the importance of wetland ecosystems;
• Inclusion of wetlands issues in the programs of national and regional nature protection activities;
• Ensuring the transfer of knowledge and experience in Central Asia and other regions of the world.

Additional information: Ludmila Kiktenko – Programme Manage, Environmental Management Programme, CAREC, lkiktenko@carececo.org

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