The Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change conducted an inventory of the country's natural sites of national significance, including unique and diverse ecosystems, biodiversity, water bodies, and natural landscapes. As a result, a list of national natural heritage sites has been formed and approved.
The project was implemented in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures to transform the sphere of ecology and environmental protection and the organization of the activities of the authorized state body”.
The scale of the conducted research encompassed long-standing and unique trees, archa forests, shrub thickets, natural geological formations (gorges and cliffs), rivers, natural lakes and springs, streams and waterfalls, as well as glaciers, swamps, deserts, and sand dunes, significant habitats for plants and animals, natural landscapes, and other ornithological territories, as well as state-protected reserves and nature parks.
The national natural heritage sites were classified according to their characteristics in accordance with the national legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, specifically into biological, hydrological, geological, and paleontological natural heritage sites.
As a result of the research conducted by specialists from the Ministry, a total of 177 national natural heritage sites were selected (including reserves and national nature parks). Among them are:
- 16 biological sites, including forested areas, archa forests, shrub thickets, and natural areas;
- 92 hydrological sites, including 50 springs, 14 lakes, 3 rivers, 10 waterfalls, 4 streams, and the Aral Sea;
- 31 geological sites, including 10 caves, 5 gorges, 10 mountains, cliffs, and rocks, 6 deserts, dunes, and sand dunes;
- 1 paleontological site, "Dinosaur Footprint."
In addition, the list includes 7 state reserves, 1 complex (landscape) sanctuary, and 13 sanctuaries, 13 national nature parks, and 11 natural monuments.
At that the transboundary sites, which were included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List - Western Tien Shan (2016) and Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (Ustyurt Plateau/2023), as well as the Chatkal Biosphere Reserve and the Lower Amudarya Biosphere Reserve included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 1978 and 2021 respectively are also manifested in the list of objects of the National natural heritage.
Sites, included in list of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat - Dengizkul Lake (2002), Aydar-Arnasay Lake System (2008), Tudakul natural pond and Kuyimazar reservoir (2008), as well as Sudochye Lake (2023) are also entered the list.
It is planned that the implementation of the project to nominate National Natural Heritage sites for international lists within the framework of programs in cooperation with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), UNESCO, and FAO, as well as the results obtained in this direction, will have significant value in promoting the natural monuments of our country among the international community and further enhancing the national tourism potential.
