REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

National Strategy and Action Plan

Tashkent

1998

Approved by:

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers
of  the Republic of Uzbekistan
Mr Islam Abduganiyevitch Karimov
 1^st April 1998.
 Decree No. 139

NB.

 The Russian version of the National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan is the original version which was submitted to the Uzbekistan Government and which received approvel. The Russian version is therefore the only version to which Decree 139 is applicable. The English version is  a translation of that document and may as a result contain minor differences of content or  meaning.

Prepared by:
the National Biodiversity Strategy Project Steering Committee with the Financial Assistance of The Global Environmental Facility (GEF)and Technical Assistance of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

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Table of Contents

SUMMARY

Part 1. Conditions and Provisions for Developing National Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation

Introduction
Geographical and Socio-Economic Context
Land Use and Water Resources
Biodiversity of Uzbekistan
Existing Provisions for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use

Part 2. National Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation

Analysis
Strategy Statement
Strategy Approval, Operational Period and Implementation
Strategy Goal, Objectives and Outputs

Part 3. National Action Plan for Biodiversity Conservation

Organizational Structures, Responsibilities and Overall Time Frame
Strategy and Action Plan Implementation Organizations
Action Plan: Goals, Steps, and Outputs
1. The System of Protected Areas
2. Public Awareness, Education and Participation
3. Sustainable Use of Biodiversity Resources
4. Regional and Local Level Biodiversity Action Plans
5. Biodiversity International Affairs and Aid Coordination
Demonstration / Pilot Projects

Appendix

Action Plan Workplan Summary Chart (for period 1998 to 2008)
1. The System of Protected Areas
2. Public Awareness and Education
3. Sustainable Use of Biodiversirt
4. Regional and Local Level Biodiversity Action Plans
5. Biodiversity International Affairs and Aid Coordination
Geographic and Socio-Economic Context Additional Information and Tables
Biodiversity of Uzbekistan Additional Information and Tables
Existing Provisions of Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use Additional Information and Tables
List of National Experts

List of Figures

Figure A: The ratio between city and rural population and distribution of population by age
Figure B: Pesticide Use in Uzbekistan
Figure C: Education Breakdown
Figure D: Biodiversity-related Programmes in Regular Schools

List of Maps

Map 1: Geo-political Map of Uzbekistan
Map 2: Climatic Parameters
Map 3: Population Distribution
Map 4: General Land Use Categories
Map 5: Broad Categories of Environmental Transformation in Uzbekistan
Map 6: Broad Ecosystem Catagories of Uzbekistan
Map 7: Protected Areas in Uzbekistan

List of Tables

Table A: Basic Facts about Uzbekistan
Table B: Summary of Economic Indicators
Table C: Population Density and Percent of Rural Population by Region (1994)
Table D: Summary of Land Use and Value for Biodiversity
Table E: Application rates of Pesticides and Defoliants (1990/1993)
Table F: Livestock Numbers and Ownership
Table G: Forestry Coverage
Table H: Estimated Long-term Average Runoff of Amu Darya and Syr-darya Darya Rivers
Table I: Fishery production in Uzbekistan (1992-1996)
Table J: Species Richness of Major Types of Biodiversity
Table K: Species Diversity of Main Taxonomic Groups of Arthropods
Table L: Comparative Estimates of Species Diversity of Vertebrates
Table M: Endemism Rate among Terrestrial Vertebrates in Uzbekistan
Table N: Distribution of Vertebrates by Ecosystem
Table O: Biodiversity of Main Natural Territorial Complexes
Table P: Numbers of Rare and Extinction-Endangered Species of Uzbekistan
Table Q: Wood and Timber Procurement by the State Committee for Forestry from 1993 to 1996
Table R: Medicine and Spice Plants Collected in Uzbekistan in 1996 and the Quotas Allocated for 1997 (tons)
Table S: Hunting Quotas for Wild Animals
Table T: Commercial Fisheries - Quotas, Catch and Estimated Value (GOSBIOCONTROL)
Table U: Summary Data of Protected Areas
Table V: Distribution of Protected Areas by Ecotype
Table W: Specific structure and number of rare species of the animals living on the territory of Jeyran Ecocenter (1996)
Table X: Staff and Financing of Category I and II Protected Areas (1996)
Table Y: Assessment of Illegal Trade Occurred in 1995
Table Z: Structure of dendra-flora of the Botanic garden
Table AA: Collections of Animals
Table BB: Timetable of the Strategy and Action Plan Implementation Activities
Table CC: Breakdown of Arable Land by Main Crops
Table DD: Pasture Types and Distribution
Table EE: Irrigation Systems in Uzbekistan and Their Estimated Efficiency (1994)
Table FF: Fisheries Information (data from 1981-91, Tashkent State University)
Table GG: Main Taxonomic Groups: Uzbekistan’s Share in CIS and The World
Table HH: Composition of Uzbekistan’s Ichthyofauna
Table II: Numbers of Plant And Animal Species Included into the IUCN List of Most Vulnerable Species of Central Asia (1996)
Table JJ: Endemism Rate of Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna of Uzbekistan
Table KK: Fauna Species Endemic in Uzbekistan and Central Asia
Table LL: Protected Area Statistics 119
Table MM: Financing and Staff of Two Examples of Protected Areas and Estimated Needs
Table NN: Staff And Financing of Zapovedniks and National Parks Supervised by The State Committee for Forestry of Uzbekistan Republic
Table OO: Quotas of 1995 - 96 for Hunting Wild Animals
Table PP: Prices and Indexes of Licenses (Permissions) to Hunt Wild Animals and Catch Fish on the Territory of Uzbekistan Republic

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Project Steering Committee

Chairman:	Mr A. Khabiballaev, Chairman of the State Committee for Nature Protection
	Mr B. Tashmuhamedov, Chairman of the Biological Science Division, Academy of Science of the Republic of Uzbekistan
	Mr F. Dghuraev, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Macro-Economics & Statistics
	Mr V. Antonov, General Director of ‘VodProject’ Corp., Ministry of Agriculture & Water Management
	Mr. M. Sultanov, First Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agriculture & Water Management
	Mr A. Khanazarov, Chairman, the State Committee For Forestry
	Mr R. Kurbanov, Deputy Chairman, Corp. for Fishery ‘Uzryba’
	Mr O. Ashurmetov, Director, Institute of Botany, the Academy of Science of the Republic of Uzbekistan
	Mr N. Karagaev, the Union of Hunters and Fishermen of Uzbekistan, NGO Representative
	Mr M. Anstey, Biodiversity Advisor, United Nations Development Programme

Project Implementation Team

Project Co-ordinator:	Mr J. Azimov, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Director of the Institute of Zoology
Assistant Project Co-ordinator:	Ms N. Kasymova
Working Group
Leaders:	Mr A. Atadzhanov, Committee for Biological Control
	Mr A. Filatov, Committee for Biological Control
	Mr T. Ibragimov, Ministry of Macro-Economics & Statistics
	Mr B. Abdunazarov, Institute of Zoology, Academy of Science of the Republic of Uzbekistan
	Mr U. Bazarov, Tashkent Juridical Institute

International Consultants: Mr Mark Anstey and Mr Keith Garratt

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Acknowledgements

  The Project Implementation Team would like to thank a wide range of people who provided inputs, comments and suggestions which contributed to the development of the biodiversity strategy and action plan, particularly NGO representatives and the Regional Consultative Workshop participants.