Head of the Department of Environmental Protection and Hydrometeorology of Turkmenistan, Candidate of Biological Sciences Jumamurad Saparmuradov took part as a speaker in a two-day meeting of researchers in the field of studying biodiversity of five Central Asian countries. This was reported by the State Publishing Service of Turkmenistan.

In his presentation, he said that the biological diversity of Turkmenistan includes at least 20 thousand species, including more than 7 thousand plant species. The third edition of the national Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (2011) operates in the country, and its next edition is being prepared.

The state demonstrates an active position in solving global issues of preserving biodiversity components, commitment to environmentally sustainable and safe development. So, since 1996, Turkmenistan has been a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, since 2008 - its Cartagena Protocol, and since 2009 - a party to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Currently, there are 9 nature reserves and 16 nature reserves in the country with a total area of 4,38% of the entire territory of the country. 50 key bird areas have been identified, which have become an integral part of the worldwide network of the International Union for the Conservation of Birds.

Their total area is not always nature protection and covers 7% of the territory of Turkmenistan. In the future, within the framework of the National Forest Program, the following reserves are expected to be opened: Yuzhno-Ustyurt on chinks covering the eastern coast of the Karabogazgol Bay, Balkan within the Big Balhan Mountains with Western Uzboy and Turkmen Lake “Altyn Asyr” reserves. Reserves are getting ready for opening: "Zengibaba" as part of the Kaplankyr state reserve. "Karabil" in the composition of Badhyz, "Tallymerjen" in the composition of Koytendag.

The regional scientific meeting was held with the organizational support of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the ANC and became a continuation of the topic globally discussed in October in China, where one of the most important climate events of the planet 2021 took place - the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biodiversity, the source said.