National parks

To help preserve the priceless, pristine, virgin, natural resources that it possesses, Kyrgyzstan has a total of 83 Specially Protected Natural Territories, (SPNT), with a total area of about 800,000 hectares, which is 4% of Kyrgyzstan’s total land area. Perhaps, the most famous of these specially protected regions is Ala Archa – just outside Bishkek. 

Since declaring Independence in 1991, the country has become a regional leader in conservation issues – ratifying the World Heritage Convention in 1995, the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1996 and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in 2002.

There are different types of SPNT –

• NATIONAL PARKS - One of the main tasks of the National Parks is to organize tourism that is not harmful to nature.  
• NATURAL PARKS - Formed to preserve the natural environment of the area whilst making it available for recreational activities.
• RESERVES – These are the most numerous of the Specially Protected Natural Territories. They occupy 289,200 hectares — more than a half of the total area of all the territories. In the reserves only certain, definite types of economic activities are prohibited, or limited. 

There are 6 “State Reserves” (or zapovedniks), 8 National Parks, and 67 Nature Parks (which are divided into “forest”, “botanical”, “geological”, “multi-use” and “hunting”), and 2 Biosphere Reserves – recognised by UNESCO.  The function of a reserve is to preserve, or to restore, some components of the natural environment and they are subdivided into 4 groups: forest, botanical, zoological, and complex.   These regions are completely exempted from economic activity, including fishing, hunting, picking wild plants. One of the essential tasks of the reserves is to educate and enlighten the population about the ecological care within this territory.

This is a list of some of the SPNTs in the Kyrgyz Republic:

Ala-Archa National Park - founded in 1974 to protect the old Ala-Archa River and its environs for the sake of society and future generations. The National Park is just 35 km from the centre of the capital, Bishkek, and extends 15 km along the canyon with altitudes ranging from 1500m to 2240m.

Besh-Aral State Reserve was founded in 1979 in the extreme South West corner of the Djalal Abad oblast, (right on the border with Uzbekistan), with the purpose of preserving the unique natural complex and forests of the Chatkal valley, as well as to partially protect the habitat of the Menzbir marmot and to protect the natural habitat of vegetation of Greig and Cauffman tulips.

Besh Tash State Park – in the Talas oblast, 13 km from the city itself, established in 1996 with 32411 hectares stretching some 30 km up the valley of the Besh Tash River.

Chon-Kemin – founded in 1997 in the Chon-Kemin river valley and included almost all the forest farms of the Kemin district. The park’s main task is to preserve the unique landscapes with their diversity of fauna and flora. It contains a hunting and a botanical reserves – and the mausoleum of Shabdan Baatyr.

Issyk-Kul state preserve was the first protected territory in the Kyrgyz Republic, founded in 1948, and now forms part of the larger Biospere Reserve. It was founded with the aim of preserving the habitat of waterfowl which winter in the region around Lake Issyk-Kul. It has an international importance, and occupies some 19,000 hectares.

Karakol Natural Park – founded in 1997, with a total area of 38,256 hectares including 4767 hectares of forests.

Kara-Shoro - established in 1996 in the Osh oblast, with 8,450 hectares – most of it pasture land, but containing some 823 hectares of forest. There are no roads in the park itself.

Karatal-Japaryk reserve was founded in 1995 in the forest regions of the northern hills of the Kargo mountains in the Naryn oblast. It consists of three small areas – a forested area and the high mountain lakes of Son Kul and Chatyr Kul - and occupies some 72,000 hectares. 

Kyrgyz Ata Natural Park - founded in 1992, in the Osh oblast, with 1,172 hectares to preserve the local, natural archa forest.

Naryn state reserve was founded in 1983 and coniferous forests, alpine meadows, and other ecosystems are protected by it.

Padasha Ata reserve in the Djalal Abad oblast, is one of the newer reserves.

Saimaluu Tash State Park – was established in 2001 in the Eastern part of Djalal Abad oblast along the Kurart riber. Most famous for the petroglyphs found here it is also important for its biodiversity.

Salkyntor State Park – in the Naryn oblast was established in 2001 and covers some 10448 hectares – and is dedicated to the re-establishment of the Tien Shan Maral (Red Deer), and also serves as a recreational centre for the local population.

Sarychat-Ertash reserve – in the Issyk Kul oblast – contains some 72000 hectares of high altitude mountain habitats.

Sary-Chelek biosphere reserve is located in the western Tien Shan Mountains, on the southern spurs of the Chatkal Range in the west of Kyrgyzstan, occupying some 23868 hectares, at altitudes which range from 1,200 to 4,247 meters above sea level.  It was originally established as a “”park in 1959 in the Djalal Abad oblast, with the purpose of preserving the forests and mountain landscapes that surround lake Sary-Chelek, and was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1979. 

Over 1000 species of plants are represented within its boundaries, including wild varieties of many “ancestors” of commercially important plants, (in particular, many of the fruits found in the forests here have a high economic value). About a third of the protected area remains as forest but there are also meadows, steppes, rocks, screes and some aquatic areas.  Before the creation of the biosphere reserve, selective logging of the forest, grass cutting and cattle grazing were practiced. Today, serious problems arise from recreational activities, unorganized tourism, thoroughfare through the reserve and construction work on the banks of Sary-Chelek Lake.  Due to the protection by the surrounding mountain ranges, winters are relatively mild and rich in snow, and summers are warm and wet.