Shirin Karryeva

PROGRAM MANAGER

Shirin has worked in the field of wildlife conservation and protected areas management in Turkmenistan and Central Asia for more than 30 years. After working for many years for the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, she has managed projects implemented by UNDP and RSPB. As Turkmenistan manager of Michael Succow Foundation’s Central Asian Desert Initiative project, she successfully supported the designation of the “Cold Winter Deserts of Turan” as UNESCO World Heritage site. Shirin is a founding member of Team Bars Turkmenistan and since 2020 manages the Center for Large Landscape Conservation CEPF projects in Turkmenistan. Shirin is also CBD/SBSTTA Focal Point for Turkmenistan and IUCN Focal Point for WCPA in Central Asia.

Shirin joined CXL in June 2023, supporting the Persian leopard conservation work and the development of the protected areas cluster in the Balkan region of Turkmenistan.