Naurzum National Nature Reserve Management Plan Implemented, Republic of Kazakhstan

The first Management Plan for the Naurzum National Nature Reserve (NNNR) was developed in Kazakhstan in accordance with the international standards in 2006. The work was conducted by the Scientific Department of the Reserve jointly with the Kazakhstan Coordination Unit of the SCWP.

The goal of the management plan is the development and sustainability of the reserve in modern socioeconomic conditions, and the realization of planned activities for the conservation of biodiversity of a unique nature site of global significance, being both a wetland and a key ornithological territory.

Presentation of the Naurzum National Nature Reserve Management Plan

The Naurzum Reserve is related to the highest category of protected natural territories of national and international importance, and it is intended for conservation of the gene pool of local flora and fauna and the study of typical and unique ecological systems and biological diversity.

The lake systems of the reserve have key importance for many populations of specially protected bird species of global significance, since they are located in the centre of one of the greatest flyways of waterfowl and other waterbirds of the world, in particular, the Siberian Crane, one of the rarest cranes in the world.

The flyways of an enormous number of arctic geese, ducks, snipes, cranes and other migratory birds cross the territory of the reserve in the spring and autumn. Since the wetlands of the Naurzum Reserve link nesting and wintering grounds of many waterbirds on different continents, deviation of flyways can negatively impact the whole world population of waterbirds.

The Management Plan focuses on the improvement and provision of the ecological integrity of a specially protected natural territory, the primary task of which is the inclusion of biodiversity components into planning and monitoring, attracting natural resource users, involving the local population in its implementation, and creating favorable public opinion and public awareness raising.

The Management Plan includes a number of measures directed towards active participation of the public and local population in the activity of the reserve on protection and elimination of threats for ensuring further conservation of biodiversity on the whole territory.

The process of management plan development was preceded by a comprehensive study of the modern situation in all aspects: biodiversity, ecology, anthropogenic impacts, changing of the hydrological regime and water resource use.

As a result of these studies, necessary basic information has been collected, and in the areas where gaps have been identified, measures for additional scientific studies have been defined. The studies have become a basis for the development and creation of the Management Plan, as well as the realization of several types of monitoring. The key directions of the reserve and mechanisms of realization have been defined in the Management Plan, which will allow the reserve to function in a sustainable way in accordance with the tasks entrusted to it.

The Management Plan includes the key directions of activity since 2007 till 2011 and mechanisms of their implementation: optimization of the boundaries and arrangement of the territory of the reserve, creation of modern material and technical basis for scientific studies and conducting cultural awareness work, development of ecological tourism, organization of actions on limited economic activity, etc.

Within the framework of preparing the Management Plan, the experts of the project have organized field studies and created maps on:

• The Administrative Map of the Republic of Kazakhstan and location of the NNNR

• The map of the NNNR

• The scheme map on land use surrounding NNNR

• The physical-geographic map of the Kostanay Oblast

• The map of relief of NNNR

• The scheme map of hydrographical network of NNNR

• The map of soils of NNNR

• The map of natural zones of the Kostanay Oblast

• The map of vegetation of NNNR

• The map of population number of the areas surrounding NNNR

• The map of ecosystems of NNNR

The maps have been designed in Geographic Information System (GIS) and created for the first time in the period of game reserve existence.

Training in methods on management plan development according to international standards was organized within the framework of the project for: the director of the game reserve, the deputy director on science, the head of the scientific department, a FHC employee and the project experts in Russia, Byelorussia, China and Kazakhstan. The Management Plan was presented at a training workshop for the Regional Coordination Unit in China in May 2007.

The Adviser for Russia and Kazakhstan, Mr. M. Stishov, has analyzed the Management Plan and provided recommendations on it, which were taken into account in the final version.

In the period of 2006-2007 the Management Plan was discussed with all stakeholders in several stages. In 2007 it was submitted to an expert commission of the Forestry and Hunting Committee of MA RK, and revised in accordance with the "Provision on Preparation of Management Plans," developed by FHC. A positive decision of the State Ecological Expertise of the Ministry of Environmental protection RK was made on November 25, 2007. On November 27, 2007 the Chairman of the Forestry and Hunting Committee signed order #339 on approval of the Management Plan.

In 2008 the employees of the reserve started implementation of planned activities jointly with the project experts and all stakeholders. The first step in that direction was preparation for spring waterbird monitoring by the employees of the reserve, trained by the project experts, under the supervision of an ornithologist of the project, Ms. Victoria Kovshar.

Training of inspectors in "identifications of rare and threatened bird species" by the employees of the scientific department of the reserve under the supervision and support of the project experts has been planned.

Joint activities in the field of development of eco-tourism, environmental education and public awareness raising also have been defined.

For more information on this program please contact:
 
Vera Inyutina, Project Manager
Astana city, Kazakhstan
tel./fax: 8-317-2-34-01-45
vera.inyutina@mail.ru
http://www.scwpkaz.kepter.kz/

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Last update: 26 February 2008

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