With a BSc in Environment, Economics and Ecology, Sarah has long been fascinated with the challenge of balancing human needs and environmental protection.
This month, Tajikistan hosted its first international conference on the protection of biodiversity.
Around 150 people from all over the country came together in Kulyab, a city in the south of the country near the Afghan border.
The conference was organised by Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and several key partners, the National Academy of Sciences and the Kulyab Botanical Gardens, along with the national government, and several local government departments and universities that FFI has been working with.
Thanks to funding from DEFRA’s Darwin Initiative, FFI was able to bring far-flung scientists together to share their knowledge.
The conference featured presentations on Tajikistan’s flora, fauna and environmental issues, as well as discussion sessions on climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The country is home to many rare plants and animals
The two-day conference also provided an ideal opportunity for students to meet and learn from leading experts. FFI is supporting a number of Darwin Scholars in Tajikistan, who were able to present the results of their work so far to an interested audience.
In the words of one student: “This is our first opportunity to hear about real-world nature conservation work. So far we have only been working in classrooms, but this conference has really brought the fieldwork to life.”
Breathtaking scenery in Tajikistan
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