Reconnecting the Bukhara Deer: Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan shape an action plan for the Lower Amu Darya

How does the Bukhara deer get from one protected area to the next? At a three-day workshop in Urgench, experts from Uzbekistan and international partners discussed an action plan to reconnect the habitats of this redlisted deer across the Amu Darya lowlands.

From 23 to 25 September 2026, experts gathered in Urgench, Uzbekistan, to discuss the draft "Action Plan for Ensuring the Connectivity of Bukhara Deer Habitats in the Lower Reaches of the Amu Darya River." The plan includes numerous experts’ assessments after intensive discussions and considerations.

What was achieved

All thematic sections reviewed: Participants went through every chapter of the plan and submitted amendments on monitoring, the creation of ecological corridors, management optimization, conflict mitigation, translocation, public awareness, anti-poaching measures.

Next steps agreed: Participants agreed on how to proceed with fundraising for implementation and on establishing a coordination group.

Practice in the field

The workshop combined discussion with first-hand experience. The group visited the Lower Amu Darya State Biosphere Reserve, including the core zone Badai-Tugai, home to the Bukhara deer. There was also time for a brief additional visit to the Khorezm State National Nature Park.

Who is behind it

The workshop was organized by the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in cooperation with the International Academy for Nature Conservation (INA) of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), the Michael Succow Foundation and UNDP Uzbekistan.

It was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in close coordination with the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change and held within the 2024–2027 Joint Work Programme between the CMS Secretariat and BfN INA. 

Financial support came from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) and UNDP/GEF Uzbekistan. Alongside representatives from Uzbekistan, participants included the CMS Secretariat, UNDP Uzbekistan, IUCN Central Asia, WWF Central Asia and other expert organizations.

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That was the focus of the workshop: How can Bukhara deer move from one protected area to another? Photo: T. Shukhrat That was the focus of the workshop: How can Bukhara deer move from one protected area to another? Photo: T. Shukhrat Group photo of the participants. Photo: B. Berdimurodov Group photo of the participants. Photo: B. Berdimurodov Excursion at sunset. Photo: V. Kim-Boese Excursion at sunset. Photo: V. Kim-Boese