Hirkan National Park — Protected-Area Expansion & UNESCO World Heritage Forest Protection (Azerbaijan)

Hirkan National Park in Azerbaijan's Talysh region protects one of the world's oldest relict forest ecosystems, part of the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests. Established in 2004 at 29,760 ha, it was enlarged by presidential decree to 40,358 ha in 2008 and again in 2022–23 to over 55,000 ha, bringing additional valleys and highlands under formal state protection.
The park is 99% forested and hosts 150 endemic tree and shrub species out of 435 recorded, alongside endemic bird subspecies such as the Caspian tit. Camera-trap monitoring confirmed the presence of the Caucasian (Persian) leopard in 2007 and again in 2019, and ranger patrols and drone surveillance now support boundary control against illegal incursions.
In 2023 Hirkan was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the transnational 'Hirkan forests' nomination. Conservation work has been co-financed by the Caucasus Nature Fund, GEF, UNDP, WWF and Germany's KfW. No forest-carbon-stock, watershed or fire-management figures were located, so this evidence submission is limited to the biodiversity and governance dimensions that are independently documented.

Read the full analysis: https://unesco.preslib.az/en/page/FZgWTetAhw