Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

Table 5.12: Protected areas in Azerbaijan (thousand km 2 ).

Specially protected natural areas

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

National parks

310.5

322.3

322.3

322.3

322.3

322.3

322.3

421.3

(% of total protected areas)

35.3

36.1

36.1

36.1

36.1

36.1

36.1

47.2

State nature reserves

209.0

209.0

209.0

209.0

209.0

209.0

209.0

120.7

(% of total protected areas)

23.7

23.4

23.4

23.4

23.4

23.4

23.4

13.5

State nature sanctuaries

361.1

361.1

361.1

361.1

361.1

361.1

361.1

350.7

(% of total protected areas)

41.0

40.5

40.5

40.5

40.5

40.5

40.5

39.3

Total area

880.7

892.5

892.5

892.5

892.5

892.5

892.5

892.5

(% of the country)

10.17

10.3

10.3

10.3

10.3

10.3

10.3

10.31

5.5.1. Protected areas

Table 5.13: Rare and endangered wild animal species in Mangystau Region (thousands).

Over the last decade, countries have worked hard to protect the most valuable areas both on land and at sea. In Azerbaijan, such efforts have increased total protected areas to 892,546.49 ha. The country has 10 national parks, 7 10 state nature reserves and 24 state nature sanctuaries. In general, specially protected natural areas cover 10.3 per cent of the country’s territory, with national parks account- ing for 3.7 per cent (National Contribution). In 2018, the first marine national park was created in Azerbaijan on the basis of the Gizil-Agach State Reserve and the Gizil-Agach State Nature Sanctuary. Monitoring and research carried out by the Insti- tute of Zoology of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan confirmed the numbers of rare and endangered wild animal species in Mangystau Region (Table 5.13). There are five specially protected areas of nation- al importance in Mangystau Region, covering a total of 1,761,922 ha. A further seven specially protected areas covering a total of 1,046,746 ha were established in the region between 2012 and 2015 to help conserve and restore natural ecosys- tems and biodiversity, and to maintain ecological

Animal species

2015

2016

2017

Saiga antelope

NA

1.9

2.0

Mountain sheep

Up to 1.1

Up to 1.3

1.5

Black-tailed gazelle

0.8

1.0

1.3

Source: Republic of Kazakhstan (2014-2016).

balance. These 12 specially protected areas of all types cover a total of 2,808,668 ha, or 17.02 per cent of the region. There are three specially protected areas in Atyrau Region: • A state nature reserve in the Northern Caspi- an covering an area of 662,600 ha • Novinsky State Natural (Zoological) Sanctu- ary covering an area of 45,000 ha on the Cas- pian coast • Akzhaiyk State Nature Reserve, covering an area of 111,500 ha in the Makhambet District Akzhaiyk State Nature Reserve was established in the Ural River delta. The delta and adjacent Cas- pian Sea coast that falls within the boundaries of the reserve feature extraordinary biodiversity:

75