Bozzhyra tract won’t be part of Ustyurt Nature Reserve
The Bozzhyra tract won’t be added to the Ustyurt Nature Reserve, according to the administration of the Mangystau region. In 2021, when the media reported plans to build a hotel in the area, many public activists urged authorities to include Bozzhyra in the nature reserve.
That being said, Kazakhstani authorities plan to expand the reserve’s size by nearly 640,000 hectares. At the same time, the protected area, where no settlements or commercial activity are allowed, will reach 20,500 hectares.
The territories to be added to the nature reserve border Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
«Please note that the Bozzhyra tract will not be added to the territory of the mentioned reserved land,» local authorities said in a statement.
The Ustyurt Nature Reserve currently spans 223,000 hectares.
In 2021, a controversy arose around Bozzhyra when a Turkish investor announced plans to build a hotel complex and an ethnic theme park and even began some construction. However, the project was halted due to public outcry, as activists demanded that investors and authorities stay away from the unique area and incorporate it into the Ustyurt Nature Reserve. Following the backlash, the investor decided to relocate the hotel 4 kilometers away from the nature monument.
In 2022, media outlets reported that the project had been postponed again.
In December 2024, Nurdaulet Kilybai, the region’s governor, announced that the hotel project had been canceled. Now, the authorities plan to construct two tourist facilities in partnership with Kazakhstani companies.
Meanwhile, the Mangystau regional government has prepared a draft regulation to reserve 640,000 hectares of land for 10 years to enhance the Ustyurt Nature Reserve.
In an interview with the Khabar 24 TV channel, experts explained that this move was necessary to protect the habitats of wild animals in the area spanning three countries. For example, big cats, including Central Asian leopards, frequently move between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
