One Health in Nature Conservation in Central Asia - Enhancing landscape resilience to zoonotic disease emergence by consolidating nature conservation systems

Changes in ecosystems, climate, and intensifying human activities create new opportunities for zoonotic diseases to emerge and spread globally, impacting human and wildlife well-being. In Central Asia, the risk of zoonotic diseases is exacerbated by biodiversity loss and changes in human-wildlife interactions.
The project aims to enhance the prevention of zoonotic disease emergence and spread in Central Asia by expanding and strengthening conservation measures in natural and overlapping sociocultural areas. Central to this project initiative is the One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health, recognising that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment are closely linked and interdependent.
The project focuses on three core components: area-based (landscape) conservation; wildlife species management for conservation and disease risk mitigation; and enhancing integrated human and environmental health through good governance and increased equity regarding the impacts of Protected and Conserved Areas (PCA) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) on local communities. Additionally, the project includes components for disease monitoring, communications and knowledge sharing, and policy development. This integrated approach seeks to advance research, empower stakeholders, and inform national policies, enhancing disease prevention and raising awareness of understanding and support of the One Health approach in nature conservation in the region.
The project is funded by the German Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUV) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and executed by IUCN in collaboration with a consortium of national and international organizations across five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The project will be implemented from 2024 to 2029.