OREANDA-NEWS. March 12, 2008. Ashkhabad hosts the international workshop Preservation of Biological Diversity through the Biospheric Reserves and the World Natural Heritage Sites in the Arid Areas of the Region and the Karakum Desert. The forum initiated by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is organised by the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan under the aegis of the UNESCO. The forum brought together the environmental experts from Great Britain, China, Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the Central Asian states and the representatives of the international organisations - the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the UNSECO Programme Man and the biosphere and the other UN agencies.

The Karakum Desert with the unique ecosystems, the plant and animal life, the inestimable reserves of natural resources is a ‘refuge’ for the natural evaluation. They are the prime reasons that the natural sites of the Karakum Desert are of particular concern to the UNESCO and worthy of inscribing on the World Heritage List. There are still no sites representing the Central Asian region in this inventory of the natural sites of universal value. It was a focus of the meeting between President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office last year. To date, Turkmenistan has prepared the proposals on the inscription of the unique sites of Turkmen nature such as the Syunt-Khasardag Reserve, the Koytendag Reserve, where the footprints of the dinosaurs were discovered, and the Badkhyz Reserve - ‘the country of legends and winds’ for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List

There are a number of the natural monuments and protected natural areas of universal value in our country. These include the plane grove in the Minor Yazym ravine, the hazel grove in Karayalchi, the populations of Turkmen mandrake in the arid subtropical areas in Southwestern Kopetdag, etc. The specially protected natural areas in the country occupy the total area of 1.916,02 hectares or about 4 percent of the territory of Turkmenistan. There are 8 state reserves and 14 wildlife preserves in the country. The legal base complying with the international law was established over these years.

On the first day of the workshop the participants presented the reports of the problems and future trends of development of the biospheric reserves in their countries, exchanged views on various aspects of the topics under discussion.

The workshop will cover the theme Karakum - a Pearl of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Arid Area in Asia.

The participants of the international workshop will visit the Repetek Biospheric Reserve.