LocationsImagine a place where, in a single day, you can walk through nearly half a billion years of Earth's history.
Half a Billion Years Beneath Our Feet: How Madygen Is Turning Earth's Ancient History into Batken's Future
July 20, 2026
Photo: Geopark Madygen https://geopark.kg/glavnaya/o-geoparke/galereya/
Beneath your feet lie rocks that once formed the floor of ancient seas. The colourful hillsides preserve traces of vanished lakes, rivers and continents. Fossils of prehistoric plants, fish, insects and remarkable reptiles are embedded in the stone, while the surrounding landscape unfolds in shades of red, yellow, grey and purple—as if nature decided to paint every chapter of Earth's history on a single canvas.
This is Madygen, a remarkable geological landscape in Kyrgyzstan's Batken region, nestled between the Fergana Basin and the Turkestan Range. Its nearly continuous sequence of geological formations allows scientists to trace the evolution of the Earth from the Cambrian Period to the present day. Often described as one of Central Asia's richest paleontological treasures, Madygen has yielded tens of thousands of fossils, with new scientific discoveries continuing to emerge.
"Madygen is a global paleontological treasure. Nowhere else is hundreds of millions of years of Earth's geological history displayed so vividly,"says Alexey Dudashvili, Scientific Advisor to the project and Secretary of the Tien Shan Geological Society.
Alexey Dudashvili, Scientific Advisor to the project and Secretary of the Tien Shan Geological Society
Personal archive
Yet Madygen's uniqueness also calls for careful stewardship. Protecting such an extraordinary landscape cannot rely on scientists or government institutions alone. For local communities, conservation must go hand in hand with new opportunities—creating jobs, supporting tourism, strengthening local businesses and traditional crafts, and generating additional income for families.
This is the approach that underpins UNDP's work. Through the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), UNDP helps communities transform natural heritage from something to be protected into a driver of sustainable development.
Under the project "Conservation of Geolandscapes as the Foundation for Integrated Ecosystem Conservation for Sustainable Development and the Creation of a UNESCO Geopark in the Isfara–Kozu-Baglan Interfluve," implemented together with the NGO Destination Batken, local self-governments, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision, the Tien Shan Geological Society and the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, a series of actions laid the foundation for a future UNESCO Global Geopark.
The project began with documenting and mapping Madygen's geological and natural heritage. More than 40 local residents were trained as nature guides, creating new employment opportunities while strengthening community ownership of the site.
Schoolchildren and university students participated in field schools, where geology moved beyond textbook illustrations and became something they could see, explore and experience firsthand.
A visitor centre was established in Samarkandek village, equipped with museum exhibits, educational materials and 3D geological models. Today it hosts guided tours and serves as an outdoor classroom, where local teachers conduct geography and biology lessons.
To improve visitor experience and protect sensitive sites, the project also installed five viewing platforms, ten interpretive information boards, twenty-five directional signs and a gateway monument, making the area safer and more accessible for visitors.
"Today, most local residents understand that protecting Madygen also means creating opportunities through tourism. It opens new prospects and additional sources of income for local communities. The adoption of the Law on Geological Parks was a major milestone. The next step is ensuring its effective implementation and establishing a strong governance system that brings together government institutions, scientists and local communities."says Musa Usonov, Executive Director of Destination Batken.
Musa Usonov, Executive Director of Destination Batken
UNDP Kyrgyzstan
Building infrastructure in such a remote landscape was not easy. Poor road access and transporting construction materials required significant effort. Today, however, visitors can navigate the area safely, tourism is steadily growing, and trained local guides are available to welcome guests.
Madygen is gradually becoming more than a geological site—it is evolving into an open-air laboratory, a living classroom and a source of sustainable livelihoods.
On 18 April 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic designated Madygen as a State Nature Monument covering 8,160 hectares, providing legal protection for its unique geological formations and landscapes.
The long-term vision goes even further. Achieving UNESCO Global Geopark status is not simply about international recognition or adding another point to the map. UNESCO geoparks are living landscapes where conservation, education, scientific research, geotourism, local entrepreneurship and cultural heritage reinforce one another. Around the world, they demonstrate how protecting nature can also generate sustainable economic opportunities for local communities.
Madygen has everything it needs to become one of Kyrgyzstan's most distinctive destinations: world-class scientific value, breathtaking landscapes, ancient history, rich cultural heritage and communities ready to share their stories with the world.
The challenge now is to strike the right balance. To ensure that visitors leave with photographs and unforgettable memories—not fossils. That young people in Batken see opportunity rather than limitation. And that landscapes shaped over hundreds of millions of years continue to support local livelihoods while remaining intact for generations to come.
By investing in local communities and protecting natural heritage, UNDP and its partners are helping ensure that Madygen's extraordinary geological past becomes a foundation for a more sustainable and prosperous future.
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