Governmental Decree No. 350 validating the Regulation on the procedure for recognizing waterbodies as objects of historical and cultural heritage.

The scope of this Regulation shall be to preserve and improve the condition of waterbodies of particular scientific and cultural value in the interests of present and future generations. Waterbodies of natural or artificial origin of national significance of particular scientific and cultural value, according to the joint presentation of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Culture, the Academy of Sciences, heads of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, regions, cities and districts, on whose territory these waterbodies are located, shall be declared by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan objects of historical and cultural heritage. The decision on declaration of nature monuments as objects of historical and cultural heritage of local significance shall be made by the local government (hukumats) based on applications from local bodies of the Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan. Objects of historical and cultural heritage shall be declared waterbodies that are unique, irreplaceable and valuable from ecological, scientific, cultural, aesthetic points of view. These include areas of scenic or historically valuable localities, samples of primordial nature, abandoned channels, waterbodies, which are the place of growth and habitat of valuable relict trees, plants and animals, swamps, which are the growing places of berries, medicinal and industrial crops, or playing an important role in maintaining the regime of small rivers and the groundwater level, separate waterbodies or parts thereof (lakes, reservoirs, rivers, springs), waterfalls and others. Waterbodies recognized as object of historical and cultural heritage or declared protected areas shall be granted the following types of protection: (a) posted under the control and protection of the state; (b) recorded in the state register of protected natural territories; and (c) pertain to state property and their lease is prohibited.