Tugai recovery gains momentum with record 2025 plantings

In 2025, Kazakhstan accelerated the restoration of tugai forests in the southern Balkhash–Ili delta, thanks to a record-breaking number of plantings. Tugai forests—riparian woodlands that function as vital “oases” along rivers in Central Asia’s arid regions—are central to the country’s tiger reintroduction and rewilding program, which aims to revive Southern Balkhash ecosystems and create thriving habitats for wildlife.

During last year’s spring and autumn, specialists and partners in the tiger reintroduction program planted more than 37,000 seedlings and cuttings: 30,000 narrow-leaf oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia) seedlings, 5,000 willow cuttings, and approximately 2,000 turanga (Populus spp.) seedlings. The restoration efforts covered nearly 10 hectares, including more than four kilometers of Lake Balkhash’s shoreline.

Beyond reflecting successful planting, these figures also represent a broader vision for the region’s ecological recovery. Key goals include:

• Rebuilding prey density, especially Bukhara deer and wild boar
• Creating ecosystems capable of sustaining diverse wildlife
• Expanding wildlife habitats
• Developing anti-poaching capacity
• Ensuring abundant freshwater and stable lake/river hydrology

Established in 2018, the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve serves as the core platform for the tiger reintroduction program and associated efforts, supporting ecosystem restoration, prey recovery, wildlife reintroduction, and wetland management. Plantings from 2022–2023 have already reached heights of 1–2.5 meters, forming “islands” or belts that function as new habitats and forage zones.

Ecological Importance of tugai (riparian) forests

Tugai forests play a crucial role in the Balkhash–Ili delta and surrounding region. These riverine woodlands help to regulate water flow, reduce the impact of floods and seasonal overflows, and act as natural filters that improve water quality. Their dense vegetation also helps prevent shoreline erosion while providing vital shelter and travel corridors for wildlife such as Bukhara deer and wild boar.

Scientists expect that these restored areas will eventually become sources of natural regeneration, gradually helping tugai forests to spread and recover across the broader Balkhash region.

The Committee of Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, together with WWF, UNDP, and partner organizations, leads the restoration of tugai forests in Kazakhstan’s Balkhash-Ili delta. Staff from the Ile-Balkhash Reserve and residents of Karoy village have also played a central role in the region’s ecological recovery by planting, watering, and nurturing young trees.