Kyzylkum Tugai and Sand Reserve

The Kyzylkum tugai and sand reserve lies on the middle reaches of the Amu Darya, across two regions at once — Bukhara and Khorezm. It was created in 1971 to preserve tugai forest.

It covers 10,311 hectares and divides into two clearly distinct parts.

The tugai section takes up 3,985 hectares. The climate here is noticeably milder: the Amu Darya is close, and it brings coolness, humidity and freshness.

The sand-desert section lives by other rules: the climate is sharply continental, the air dry, humidity very low, precipitation almost nil. In summer the air rises above forty-five degrees, in winter it drops to minus twenty-one.

The whole territory is level, with only small differences in elevation.

The vegetation runs to about a hundred and fifty species. The main tugai stands were unfortunately lost to human activity and are now being restored with young plantings. The principal trees are Turanga poplar, oleaster and petta. Saxaul and other desert species grow in the desert zone.

This is a working conservation area rather than a park with facilities: visits are arranged in advance.