UNDP Uzbekistan

UNDP-GEF and the Government of Uzbekistan’s “Strengthening Sustainability of National System of Protected Areas by Focusing on Strict Nature Reserves” project in partnership with the State Nature Protection Committee of Republic of Uzbekistan and the Main Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Republic of Uzbekistan held an official awarding ceremony of winners of drawings contest “Conserving the Nature-Protecting Ourselves” at information centre of Surkhan Strict Nature Reserve (Surkhan SNR).

The contest was dedicated to the World Environment Day and attracted more than 80 school-children from 7 schools of the pilot territory of UNDP-GEF project of Sherabad district of Surkhandarya region- villages, which are located in being established protected areas bordering with Surkhan SNR. For many of participated school-children this contest, probably served to be as a first step in their way to new undertakings, discoveries and creative successes.

Jonibek Jabborov, a pupil of secondary school from Hatak village, stated that in his drawing he tried to illustrate “an ideal natural ecosystem”, in which species of fauna and flora naturally co-exist, while a human being is reasonably dealing with available earthly blessings.     

While getting familiarized with drawings of the contest, one would simply notice exclusively creative approach and thematic focus of each submitted work. This is a desperate crying of a human being staying at the edge of environmental disaster, harmonious co-existing of humans and nature, green pastures and clean streams, blooming land and a proud markhoor contemplating the beauty  from the peak of silent and majestic mountains.   

In her drawing, one of the winners of the contest, Surayo Mirzaeva a pupil from Kamirtepa village demonstrated a clear and peculiar appeal of conservation of unique species of animals and an idea of rational use of the medicinal plants.   

Akmal Ismatov, Project Manager of UNDP-GEF and the Government of Uzbekistan “Strengthening Sustainability of National System of Protected Areas by Focusing on Strict Nature Reserves” stated that organization of such kind of contests, contributes to more active involvement (participation) of local communities into process of protection actions and increases the knowledge of people in this sphere.   

The beauty of Surkhan is not just about unique landscapes, fauna and flora, mountains and forests, but it is also about people living in this ancient and blessing land as people are the real wealth of the nation, and the future of the country is in  the hands of today’s school children.