Tashkent Hosts the Third Meeting of Range States to the CMS Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI)
2025-06-25 15:00:00 / News
The primary focus is on strengthening regional partnerships to conserve rare and endangered mammal species, enhancing resilience to climate-related risks, and improving coordination of conservation efforts. Participants are reviewing progress made under the CAMI Work Programme (2020–2026), setting priorities for the upcoming period, and updating cooperation mechanisms among countries and partners.
“Mammal conservation plays a vital role in safeguarding biodiversity across Central Asia. Over the next three days, we aim to exchange experiences with delegates from 15 countries. Uzbekistan is presenting its proposals and initiatives to the international community,” stated Alisher Salomov, Advisor to the Minister of Ecology.
Delegates from more than 12 countries—including India, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia, among others—are participating. Over 20 international organisations are represented, including the CMS Secretariat, IUCN, UNDP and others.
Key agenda items include updating Resolution 11.24 (Rev. COP13) ahead of CMS COP 15, approving the revised CAMI Work Programme developed following the technical seminar on Vilm Island (Germany), and revising the mandates of species coordinators and country-focused CAMI chairs.
“There are two main threats to mammals. The first is direct exploitation, such as poaching and illegal killing. The second is habitat fragmentation caused by roads and railways, which breaks up natural ranges,” said Clara Nobbe, Head of the Terrestrial Species Unit at the CMS Secretariat.
For reference: Launched in 2014, the CAMI platform spans 14 range countries and targets species such as the cheetah, wild yak, wild Bactrian camel, Bukhara deer, Przewalski’s horse, kulan, goitered gazelle, argali, leopard, snow leopard, saiga antelope and others. CAMI serves as an essential framework for uniting scientific, expert, and institutional efforts to combat poaching, habitat degradation, and the impacts of climate change.
Hosting this meeting in Tashkent emphasizes Uzbekistan’s increasing leadership in the international nature conservation agenda and its dedication to sustainable development and partnerships for regional biodiversity.