The Cold Winter Deserts of Turan, a UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed in September 2023, span Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, covering 14 protected areas across Central Asia’s temperate zone. Recognized as the world’s first listed cold winter desert, this transnational site stretches over 1,500 km, showcasing extreme climates with frigid winters and scorching summers, alongside diverse desert ecosystems. Home to unique flora like saxaul forests and endangered fauna such as the goitered gazelle and saiga antelope, it highlights ecological resilience and biodiversity, filling a critical gap in global heritage representation.

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