On 12 of August 2010 the UN Development Program, Global Environment Facility and Ministry of Nature Protection project “Conservation and Sustainable Use of Globally Significant Biological Diversity in Hazar Nature Reserve on the Caspian Sea Coast” jointly with the Caspian Environment Program has organized event devoted to celebration of the Caspian Day at Awaza national tourist zone.

The event has gathered more than 200 people, including representatives of the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan, the State Enterprise of the Issues of the Caspian Sea, State Committee on Fishery, Administration of the Balkan welayat, Hazar State Reserve, Society of Hunters and Fishermen of Turkmenistan, Mass media, as well as 25 community representatives from Garagel, Gyzylsuv, Chekichler and Belek settlements located in the immediate vicinity to the sea. Among the 20 school students – winners of the environmental contests, held earlier by the project and Hazar state reserve in the above mentioned project settlements.

In the course of the event presentations on the issues of conservation of rich and unique biological diversity of the Caspian sea, contest for the best picture of the sea inhabitants and award ceremony of poetic competition on the theme “Caspian – pearl of the Planet” as well as musical introduction of the tale characters on the water were made. With the objective of visual acquaintance with the flora and fauna of Caspian marine environment of the Hazar state reserve, the project within the event has organized an excursion for the people of Garagel, Gyzylsuw, Chekishlyar and Belek settlements to the Museum of the Hazar State Reserve and a boat trip along Caspian “Awaza river”.

All the participants of the contests devoted to the Caspian Day were given general prizes including video films, and other environmental information materials prepared within the project. Winners of the drawing contest on the best inhabitant of the Caspian sea became: Shaniyazova Yazgul (Gyzylsuw setlement) Hudayberdiyeva Aygul (Garagel), Palwanova Aygul (Gyzylsuw), Ilyasova Orazbibi (Garagel), Gulnazarov Dowletyar (Belek), Garajayeva Azatgul (Chekishlyar).

The decision to celebrate the Caspian Day was adopted in Baku, May 2007, at the First Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on the Protection of Marine Environment of the Caspian sea (Tehran convention). Since that, the Caspian Day is annually celebrated on the 12 of August in all Caspian states with the objective to attract public attention to the necessity of protection of environment of this unique water body, which is a habitat of 90% of the world’ population of sturgeon, and endemics such as Caspian seal.