Brief Description 

This project will strengthen Turkmenistan’s National System of Protected Areas by demonstrating effective protected area management and biodiversity conservation in Turkmenistan’s Hazar Nature Reserve (KhR) on the Caspian Sea coast. Two of the world’s major flyways -- the Central Asian-Indian Flyway and the East African Flyway -- converge on Turkmenistan’s Caspian coastal region. This fact makes the coastal wetlands of KhR especially important for migratory birds as they move north from Africa and India and south from Europe and arctic Russia. The area also includes important wintering areas for the Caspian sturgeon and some of the most important habitats for the Caspian seal, the only Caspian pinniped and an endemic species. The conservation and sustainable use of such a wide range of biological diversity requires more integrated approaches to conservation and coastal resource management in Turkmenistan. It requires increased involvement by local communities, more cross-sector collaboration among government and civil society institutions, a deeper understanding of coastal ecosystem function and coastal zone management practices, increased capacity of resource management organizations, improved PA and financial management, and applied incentives for conservation and sustainable use. This project is designed to provide the tools, the expertise, and the arena for stakeholders to adopt these new practices in ways that are appropriate for Turkmenistan and that strengthen Turkmenistan’s National System of Protected Areas. In so doing, the project will generate substantial global environmental and national sustainable development benefits.

Overall Goal: The protection of Turkmenistan’s globally significant biodiversity by strengthening the sustainability of its National System of Protected Areas.

OBJECTIVE: A new participatory and adaptive approach to conservation and management is demonstrated in Khazar Nature Reserve and is replicated throughout the system.

OUTCOME 1: HAZAR NATURE RESERVE (KHR) MANAGEMENT CAPACITY AND CONSERVATION EFFECTIVENESS IS SECURED.

Output 1.1 Adaptive participatory management practice piloted in Khazar Nature Reserve.
Output 1.2. Strengthened Reserve Staff’s Technical Knowledge and Abilities.
Output 1.3. Strengthened Field Conservation Capacity of the Reserve.

OUTCOME 2: CROSS-SECTOR CAPACITY FOR INTEGRATED COASTAL MANAGEMENT ESTABLISHED AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES MAINSTREAMED INTO PRODUCTIVE COASTAL SECTORS SURROUNDING KHAZAR RESERVE.

OUTPUT 2.1: Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Framework and Planning Process in Place.
OUTPUT 2.2: Conservation landscape and Khazar Nature Reserve’s place in that landscape is defined.
OUTPUT 2.3: Strengthened Information Baseline on Coastal Ecosystem Health Parameters.

OUTCOME 3: HAZAR RESERVE BUILDS TRUST AND GOODWILL WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND STRENGTHENS ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE OVER WILDLIFE RESOURCES.

OUTPUT 3.1: Social Capital is Strengthened in Targeted Communities around Khazar Nature Reserve and Goodwill between KhR and Local Communities is Nurtured and Restored.
OUTPUT 3.2: Sustainable natural resource use demonstrations generate new options for coastal fishery and reduce pressure on migratory waterfowl in coastal area surrounding KhR.

OUTCOME 4: PROJECT BEST PRACTICES ARE MAINSTREAMED INTO THE NATIONAL SYSTEM OF PROTECTED AREAS OF TURKMENISTAN.

OUTPUT 4.1. New Policies within MNP to encourage adaptive management.
OUTPUT 4.2 Protected Area Management Training Program
OUTPUT 4.3 Operational Network for Nationwide Replication of Best Practices by PAs.
OUTPUT 4.4 Strengthened Caspian-wide PA information exchange and sharing of lessons learned.
OUTPUT 4.5: A Clear and Compelling Economic Argument for PA Contribution to Development and for Long-Term Financing of KhR and the National System of Protected Areas.