Each July 31, the world comes together to celebrate World Ranger Day. First observed in 2007, over the years this day has grown in significance, spotlighting the crucial work of rangers in conservation efforts.
Statistics show that globally, more than 1,000 rangers have lost their lives in the line of duty over the past decade. These brave individuals face numerous threats daily, such as encounters with armed poachers, dangerous wildlife, extreme weather conditions, accidents in remote and rugged terrain, and more.
As humanity faces growing environmental challenges, the role of wildlife rangers is becoming increasingly crucial. World Ranger Day serves as a vivid reminder of the risks they face daily and underscores the need to better support and protect rangers worldwide. By raising awareness and encouraging support for the work of rangers, we are investing in the future of our planet's natural and cultural heritage.
Last week, our Central Asia team celebrated World Ranger Day for the first time in Turkmenistan, at the Hydrometeorology Service of Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Environmental Protection. The event featured rangers from each state reserve as well as staff from the Department of Environmental Protection of the Balkan region. Together with UNDP Turkmenistan, we provided field equipment to 10 rangers and 2 Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) coordinators in recognition of their outstanding work. The event highlighted how CXL supports the vital work of wildlife rangers by equipping them with tools, implementing cutting-edge technologies in the field, and supporting the government of Turkmenistan to meet obligations of the international agreements protecting Central Asia’s imperiled wildlife.
Conservation X Labs Work in Central Asia
Our Central Asia Program fosters regional collaborations in research, monitoring, and conservation to protect the endangered flagship mammal species of Central Asia — the Persian Leopard and Snow Leopard — across Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. Thanks to support from the National Geographic Society and the Segré Foundation, we are setting up new protected and conserved areas and ecological corridors across these three countries and equipping rangers with the tools they need to combat poaching.
Our program also supports the adoption of cutting-edge technology to strengthen conservation on the ground. In 2023, our team trained the rangers of the Balkan Department of Environment in the use of the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) and equipped them with corresponding smartphones to do this work. SMART enables rangers and protected area managers to manage and protect wildlife and wild places by standardizing and streamlining data collection, analysis, and reporting–making it easier for key information to get from the field to local agencies for environmental protection. These agencies–the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in the case of Turkmenistan–can then deploy the necessary resources to rapidly combat threats facing protected areas.
Check out the project’s site to learn more about our Central Asia program and how you can support it.
