Tajikistan State of the Environment Report - 2000
Biodiversity: Response
Conservation of biological diversity has been recognized as the major environmental priority in Tajikistan. The first Law on nature protection was adopted in 1959. Regular enhancement and updating of environmental protection legislation according to new norms and requirements has begun since than.
As far as Tajikistan has declared its independence it was decided to review old and adopt new laws, rules, regulations and procedures on nature protection, including Law on nature protection, Law on preservation and use of fauna, Law on nature reserves, Forest Code and other legislation.
Ratification
of UN Convention on biological diversity in 1997 was very important step forward.
Convention on biodiversity states main goals in conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity components, biotechnology, etc. More 150 countries of the world have ratified
UN CBD. In accordance with international obligations, Tajikistan’s Government is
indented to develop and approve National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan soon.
In addition to the fulfillment of international agreements, there are national programmes such as State programme on environmental education of population and State ecological programme that are being locally implemented. These programmes assign ministries, departments, regional administrations and city authorities to implement activities that improve local environmental situation, ensure sustainable development while country’s economy in transitional period and increase environmental awareness and education of local population.
Ministry for nature protection, including its subdivisions, implements state control on rational usage and conservation of biological resources:
Specialized inspection on state control on flora, fauna, nature reserves and tourism;
Specialized inspection on state control on fish resources conservation;
Specialized inspection on state control on ecological examination.
Aside from the Ministry for nature protection
some other state agencies are also engaged into biological diversity conservation and use,
including Tajik forest authority, Ministry of agriculture, etc.
Ministry for nature protection with respect to the scientifically based data determines quotas and amounts of charge to be paid for usage of biological diversity resources and components.
There is no payment system for the usage of biological resources. Nevertheless, there is a system of penalties and sanctions for reparation of caused damage to biodiversity. Government, taking into economical and ecological values of species and their habitats, determines the scale of penalties and sanctions. Sanctions are applied in cases of illegal hunting and poaching, or for damage to the ecosystems.
Majlisi Oli (Parliament) establishes penalties.
All penalties are
equal to the minimum wage established in republic, which is 1.000 Tajik rubles or 0,57 US dollars (as on 17
February 2000). Amount of charges varies depending on quality and quantity of damage.
Penalties are imposed for failure of administrative or nature protection legislation.
Payments on penalties and sanctions have to be transferred to the special bank account of the Ministry for nature protection under supervision of Ministry of finance and Ministry of economy. As this special bank account collects funds from all penalties and sanctions, biodiversity moneys are not directly used for improving the state of the biodiversity.
Simultaneously, there is a feature of economic instruments on use of fauna in Mountain-Badahshan region called “hunting agreements”. The sums of financing are determined in each concrete case, depending on the features and ecological values of the object to hunt and area of hunting. All incomes go to the local budgets.
Already
few decades special hunting facilities serve in Tajikistan as effective and sustainable
regulated hunting natural sites with total area above 1 million hectares. Such form of
biodiversity protection helps to limit and control the hunting and poaching with respect
to the number and the state of populations as well as to implement rehabilitation measures
if necessary. Republican society of hunters and fishers significantly assists to
coordinate those activities.
Medical and forest authorities mainly carry out collection of medical plants. Annually, about 35-50 tons of medical plants such as plantain, Ungernia Victoris, mint, nettle and others are prepared. Annual capacity of medial plant collection is estimated as 4.500 tons, including Zeravshan valley reserves up to 1.000 tons. However recently, the negative trends of spontaneous collection of medical plants by local population are observed. It leads to the degradation of important medical plant habitats.
Ecological
tourism is one of the most attractive environmental income sources. Tourism recovery is
300-400% against construction and maintenance expenditures. However, the number of
tourists has reduced and obviously revenue is less than it is supposed to be.
Following the results of scientific researches and recommendations and pursuant to the Governmental Decision in 1979, Tajikistan’s Red data list was established and firstly published in 1988. Red data list contains description of status, biological features and environmental protection measures for each species included. Each animal or plant included into the Red data list (Red Book) of Tajikistan is protected by the state, so unauthorized activities concerning indicated specie are strictly prohibited. Total number of species included into the Tajikistan’s Red data list is 226 plant species and 126 animal species. It should be pointed, that national Red list includes 58 species of invertebrates, 4 species of fishes, 21 species of reptiles, 37 species of birds, 42 species of mammals.
To conserve biological diversity outside of
natural conditions and habitats (ex-situ), there have been established nurseries,
research centers as well as botanical gardens and zoological park in Tajikistan. 
To conserve and protect rare and endangered biological
species, unique natural sites and habitats inside of wild nature (in-situ), the
immense nature reserve network, consisting of 3 strict nature reserves, 14 species
management areas and 2 national and historical-natural parks has been established. This
network covers virtually all ecosystems and natural areas in Tajikistan. However, its
operational activities are not advantageous recently.
Anthropogenic pressure on biological diversity is constantly increasing and many natural landscapes are rapidly degrading and worsening. A lot of measures should be undertaken urgently to rehabilitate existing nature reserve network and construct new nature protection areas.
Biological
diversity conservation first of all based on the results of scientific researches. Such
research activities have been conducted for the hundred years in Tajikistan and resulted
in creation of nature reserve network, botanic gardens, zoological park, nurseries, nature
protection departments, institutions and other outputs. Such organizations as Institute of
botany, Institute of physiology and biophysics of plants, Institute of zoology, Pamirs
biological institute, Institute of forest, Department of conservation and rational use of
natural resources under Academy of Sciences, Research laboratory for nature protection,
biological faculty under Tajik State National University have been established.
Public environmental organizations together with above-mentioned institutions participate and play active role in environmental protection and education. The origin of first public environmental organizations comes from the Society of hunters and fishers and Republican nature protection society that founded in 1950-1960-s. Recently, there are 30 environmental NGOs in Tajikistan. Some NGOs conduct researches on nature protection and explore the state of ecosystems. Another NGOs organize summer training courses and carry out education. National TV programme “We and nature” is regularly broadcasted.