The 45th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), held on Wednesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, inscribed the unique desert ecosystems of Turkmenistan Bereketli Garagum, Gaplangyr, Repetek and Yeraji on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the transnational serial nomination Cold Winter Deserts of Turan, submitted jointly by Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, according to the press release issued by the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan on Friday.
Ambassador of Turkmenistan to France, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to UNESCO Maksat Chariyev expressed his gratitude to the members of the World Heritage Committee for their support in making the decision, as well as to the international and national experts who actively contributed to the preparation of this nomination.
The Turkmen envoy stated that Cold Winter Deserts of Turan represent a model of continuous ecological and biological processes that determine the adaptation and survival of diverse flora and fauna in changing extreme environmental conditions.
The inscription of these sites on the World Heritage List would enable countries to strengthen international co-operation to better conserve all globally threatened species.
The States Parties have agreed on transnational mechanisms for the management and conservation of nominated sites, such as the establishment of a monitoring system and regular data exchange, according to the report.
The Cold Winter Deserts of Turan are the first cold winter deserts to feature on the World Heritage list. It consist of 14 parts located in the arid temperate zone of Central Asia between the Caspian Sea and the Turan Highlands. Its climate is extreme, with very cold winters and hot and very dry summers.