Scientist of Astrakhan State University Is Going to Broaden Ustyurt Nature Reserve

Aleksey Laktionov, Doctor of Biological Sciences and Professor of the ASU Department of Botany, Biology of Ecosystems & Land Resources, is developing a scientific rationale for this initiative within CADI international grant project.

The grant activities involve, along with the representative of Astrakhan State University, expert on environmental and scientific projects in Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Til Dieterich (Greifswald, Germany), ornithologist of the Ustyurt National Biosphere Reserve Zhaskayrat Nurmukhambetov, herpetologist of the Amphibians & Reptiles Protection Society of the Environmental Centre “Dront” Mark Pestov (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) and coordinator of the international project MSF/203/17 “Desert Initiative of Central Asia”, ecologist V.A. Terentiev (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan).

The research group recommends to broaden the territory of the Ustyurt National Reserve and to create a trans-border natural biosphere reserve in the Southern Ustyurt at the intersection of borders of three states — Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The territory of this specially protected natural area is a habitat of rare and endangered species of animals and plants. The area under research is also rich in palaeontological findings, primarily consisting of representatives of marine fauna.

The scientists hope that the large trans-border specially protected natural area, which is being created with clusters in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, could be nominated for entering the UNESCO World Heritage list in future.