Protecting nature and the final project

Protecting nature and using its riches wisely is carried out under the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Law “On Nature Protection”. Protected areas are of four kinds. In a strict reserve (qo‘riqxona) human economic activity is limited and the natural environment is kept just as it is; grazing, gathering fruit and hunting are strictly forbidden. The main reserves are Chatkal Biosphere, Nurata, Zaamin, Zarafshan, Surkhan, Hisar, Kitab Geological and Kyzylkum. In a managed reserve (buyurtmaxona) particular species or natural resources (for example the breeding ground of a rare animal) are protected; other activities are limited, and hunting may sometimes be allowed at set times with a permit. A national park is an area set aside for people’s rest and enjoyment of beauty: visitors may walk on marked paths and relax, but trampling or picking flowers and littering are not allowed. Natural monuments are unique places such as caves, waterfalls, striking rocks, springs and giant trees (for example the Teshiktosh and Obirakhmat caves and the ancient plane trees of Sayrob village). The Red Book is a document about plant and animal species that are declining or in danger of extinction: it gives their structure, range, way of life and causes of decline. The Red Book of Uzbekistan was established in 1979; the volume on animals came out in 1983 and the plants volume in 1984; its lists have been updated in later editions. It includes, for example, wild grape and the Bukhara deer (khangul).