Landscapes and seascapes around the world are being increasingly fragmented, degraded, and changed.  Migratory species are among the most vulnerable to these impacts as they depend on networks of well-functioning natural areas throughout their life cycles. This was pointed out in the first-ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report, which identified habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation, along with overexploitation, as the main threats leading to the decline of migratory species populations globally.  Now, with new and renewed commitments, countries are increasing their focus and activities to safeguard ecological connectivity within and beyond their borders.

A regional workshop on the conservation of migratory species in the context of cooperation across national borders was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on November 21–22, 2023. It brought together representatives of national nature protection and border security agencies as well as scientists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan (the five Central Asian States).

In the tri-border area between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan lies the Ustyurt Plateau, characterised by canyons and different types of deserts. It is one of the last places of refuge for various species of animals listed on the Appendices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environmental treaty of the United Nations. Some of these migratory species are endangered and endemic, and include Saiga Antelopes (Saiga tatarica), Urial (Ovis vignei), Goitered Gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa), Kulan (Equus hemionus), and Persian Leopards (Panthera pardus tulliana).