In late May, the President of Turkmenistan launched an initiative to create a recreation zone on the shores of Altyn Köl Lake, which is in Ashgabat’s Bagtyyarlyk etrap, and on June 15, a complex of recreational amenities was officially opened there by the head of state.
The phased project aims to turn the lakeside grounds into a multi-purpose recreation area that will boast cottages, shopping centers, a yacht club, hotels, fitness facilities, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, restaurants, playgrounds, sports grounds, an aquapark, event venues, parks, a health house, recreational boating facilities, etc.
This will certainly cause changes in the shoreline features and structure of the lake, which is a natural area of great ornithological and environmental importance in line with the Ramsar Convention.
We kindly asked Chair of the Coordination Committee of the Ramsar Regional Initiative for Central Asia (RRI-CA) (established in 2016 with Turkmenistan as one of the parties to it), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biology, Professor Eldar Rustamov to identify what conservation efforts specialists should take to help to protect and maintain the ecological balance of this true gem in the Garagum Desert. - Eldar Anverovich, you probably have your personal attitude to the Lake as a native of Ashgabat, haven’t you? - Certainly, yes.
In 1962, when the Garagum River brought water from the Amudarya River to Ashgabat, the design engineers and builders decided to fill the Gurtly depression (located at the edge of the Desert, north-west of the capital) with it.
This is how man-made Gurly Lake came into existence.It has been a popular and favorite leisure destination for residents and visitors to our city for decades.
I am delighted that the areas adjacent to this natural site are being improved.It is no coincidence that it has been named so poetically “Altyn Köl” (Golden Lake). - You have called the lake a natural site, although it is artificial… - Yes, it is true, but an aquatic ecosystem with natural elements has formed here over nearly 60 years.
In a broad sense, water, as an ecological factor, has dramatically altered the landscape of the Kopetdag piedmont plain.Think, for instance, of biodiversity.When we, ornithologists, conducted a comprehensive survey of birds at the lake jointly with experts of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), 212 bird species were identified, for the most part, they were aquatic and wading birds.
That was particularly significant. - Why was the survey carried out? - An international project entitled Important Bird Areas in Central Asia’ was implemented in Turkmenistan in 2005-2009.A total of 50 important bird areas and protected sites were designated nationally, and each of them was officially assigned its status in special categories.
Thus, Gurtly Lake was listed in the international inventory of Central Asia’s key natural sites and won international recognition for the first time.Suffice it to say that the lake is home to endangered birds (or they have been seen here at different stages in their life cycle) listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan, such as curly and pink pelicans, lesser white-fronted geese, marbled teals, white-eyed pochards, spoonbills, flamingos, gallinules, ospreys, and others.
The lake provides an important wintering habitat for waterfowl and waders as it is located along a migration route in the northern Kopetdag.In some winters up to 20,000 aquatic and semi-aquatic birds flock into the area.
This gives us reasonable grounds for nominating the water body for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.Turkmenistan signed the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (adopted on February 2, 1971, the town of Ramsar, Iran) in 2009.
Each country submits nomination proposals for important wetlands on its territory to be considered for inclusion in the Convention’s Ramsar List.The sites should fully comply with the Ramsar Convention.
Today, 171 countries are contracting parties to the Convention. 21 wetlands in Central Asia with a surface area of 4,718,089 hectares have been designated as Ramsar Sites.
Our country currently has only one Ramsar site - the Turkmenbashi Bay (267,124 ha).The Turkmenistan Working Group on the Ramsar Convention is preparing a list of sites for potential nomination for inscription on the Ramsar List: Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake and the Turkmen Bay (Balkan velayat), Sarykamysh Lake (Dashoguz velayat), Soltandag Lake and Kelif Lake (Lebap velayat), Khanhovuz Reservoir (Mary velayat) and Altyn Köl Lake (Akhal velayat). - Does this mean that Altyn Köl Lake will be included in the Ramsar List soon? - Yes, of course, but there is one thing: our nomination proposal should accurately reflect all the changes in the shoreline features and structure of the lake as an aquatic ecosystem.
That is why it is vital for the lake to preserve its characteristics in compliance with the Ramsar Convention.Frankly speaking, all the nomination proposals for Turkmen wetlands are meaningful but Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake and Altyn Köl Lake hold a special place in this regard.
I will explain why.Wetlands play an instrumental role in the context of sustainable cities and ecologically sound urban development.In 2013 Ashgabat expanded its limits through annexations and the Altyn Köl area became part of the city.
The lake, which was not located at the edge of the Karakum Desert any longer, had to fit harmoniously into the capital’s architectural landscape.It is worth noting that urban wetlands greatly contribute to a higher quality of life.
Humans living in cities are critically dependent on the state of both natural and artificially created wetlands.Urban wetlands help to maintain the ecological balance and harmony in urban environments.
The Ramsar Convention calls for action and urban wetland preservation.These protected sites are able to bring enormous economic, social and cultural benefits to cities.The capital has the green belt surrounding it in the south but the adverse impact of the Karakum Desert can still be felt in the north.
Therefore, the importance of the Altyn Köl area and its recreational potential cannot be overemphasized.That is what indicates the need for recognizing the lake’s international importance.
After Altyn Köl Lake is certified as a Ramsar site, we plan to apply for formal accreditation of it as the first urban wetland in Central Asia and as the first wetland park in Turkmenistan.
At this point, it is worth mentioning that 18 cities from China, France, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Tunisia were accredited as Wetland Cities at the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Dubai, 2018).
No city from our region received accreditation. -What are the accreditation requirements? - To be eligible for the Wetland City Accreditation, cities, towns and urban settlements should have local governments.
Special accreditation criteria listed below are to be met: an urban wetland should provide vital water-related ecosystem services; local governments should: take measures to conserve wetlands and ecological services, given hydrologic functions and biodiversity of wetlands; introduce wetland conservation and management initiatives; take an integrated approach to land use planning and management; undertake actions to raise public awareness of wetland values, for example through educational centers (in our case, a center should be located in the area); set up an accreditation city committee (or a group).
These targets are perfectly attainable.And massive efforts are now being made to build modern recreational infrastructure on the shores of the lake to accomplish the objectives specified by the head of state.
To apply for the Wetland City Accreditation the urban wetland should be officially listed as a Wetland of International Importance or a Ramsar site.This is the only requirement that has not been fulfilled yet.
Members of the Turkmenistan Working Group on the Ramsar Convention are ready to provide the designers and builders of the Altyn Köl zone with expert advice on how to conserve the area’s biodiversity once the ecosystem is modified.
The project will enable to nominate our white marble-clad capital as Central Asia’s first city with a wetland and wetland park of international importance. - How do you envision the future of Altyn Köl Lake? - As a biological scientist, I would like the Altyn Köl Lake area to have a research center and an ecological path with observation towers for bird watching and recreational activities in near-natural environments in addition to its cultural and recreational infrastructure.
Golden Lake will continue to be home to a vast array of birds and the diversity and abundance of its plant species will continue to amaze.The recreation area under construction here, a unique ecologically sustainable space in the urban setting, will undoubtedly promote public environmental awareness and will become a favorite place for wildlife enthusiasts and those who are fans of active leisure activities.