Turkmenistan hosted a seminar on “Stimulating a Positive Transformation of the Agricultural Sector of Turkmenistan to Increase Resilience to Climate Change” in Ashgabat on July 18, 2024.
The seminar is organized within the framework of the Agreement signed between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), the Project Office in Turkmenistan, in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The project is focused on the Lebap region in Turkmenistan, aiming to enhance the resilience of water catchment ecosystems and promote more sustainable agricultural practices in response to climate change and natural resource degradation.
The project’s activities are diverse and based on the “Water and Land Resources Interconnection” approach. This approach combines the management of land and water resources. It supports Turkmenistan’s national programs on sustainable development, climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and the management of land and water resources, with a special focus on building capacity and developing infrastructure. Community engagement and stakeholder participation are essential parts of the project. The project also has a strong commitment to gender integration and empowerment.
The project will collaborate with government agencies to promote a transformative shift in the agriculture sector towards climate-resistant and environmentally friendly practices. This includes strengthening the regulatory framework, building institutional capacity and raising awareness, establishing project oversight boards, and implementing pilot projects to showcase sustainable practices. This will create an agricultural system that is more resistant to climate change and supports food production. It will also increase resilience to future climate events, contribute to achieving the goals of the LDN (Low-Emission Development), improve the Integrated Water Management approach, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is expected that this initiative will bring significant environmental benefits and contribute to positive transformations at the local and institutional levels. It will also contribute to systemic changes in the agricultural sector in Turkmenistan, leading to more sustainable practices and a healthier environment.
The welcoming speech was given by the Head of the Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, Dovran Yagmyrov. He emphasized the significance of this event and stressed the importance of environmental protection in Turkmenistan.
After Dovran Yagmyrov’s introductory speech, Batyr Mamedov, Head of the ICSD Secretariat and national consultant on land and water resources forthe FAO, gave a speech and presentation on the national context and other relevant initiatives in Turkmenistan, which was followed by an expert, Dovlet Dzhumakuliyev.
Speakers also participated in the seminar by joining remotely via the Zoom platform, allowing for participation from different regions. Kaan Basharan, from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), presented an overview of the GEF-8 program and the Central Asia Water and Land Network (CAWLN) via Zoom. He discussed the main processes of the program and provided information on future steps.
A special guest at the seminar was Viktor Lagutov, a project design expert from FAO. He presented the progress of the project titled “Strengthening Integrated Water Resources Management in the Basins of the Amu Darya, Zarafshan, and Panj Rivers” in Ashgabat.
The seminar continued with online participation and a presentation by Evette Zenina from FAO. She gave an overview of the project and its components based on the program framework document (PFD).
The session concluded with a group discussion on the project’s components, during which Daler Domullodzhanov from FAO facilitated a collection of initial thoughts, opportunities, challenges, and constraints related to potential project activities.
In the final part of the seminar, Evette Zenina led a synthesis and discussion with the participants on the next steps.
The seminar was attended by representatives from key departments and organizations in Turkmenistan, including the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Hydrometeorological Service, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Committee for Water Management, the Academy of Sciences, the Technology Centre of the Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the Ministry of Trade, and the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development. Also in attendance were representatives from the CAREC project office in Turkmenistan.
During the Q&A session, participants were able to ask questions and receive detailed responses from experts. They greatly appreciated the opportunity to interact with experts directly and receive answers to their questions, as well as share their thoughts on specific topics.
The event was moderated by Nazar Allaberdiev, a FAO national consultant on climate change. He successfully organized the event and thanks to his efforts, all key topics were thoroughly discussed.
The seminar concluded with closing remarks from Evette Zenina and Victor Lagutov of FAO, who expressed gratitude to all participants for their active engagement and productive work.
The event was very productive, with participants discussing the main topics and exchanging views on key issues. This seminar was an important step in the development of the agriculture sector in Turkmenistan, aiming to increase resilience to climate change and stimulate environmental transformations.
At the end of the event, plans for the future and possible areas of further cooperation were discussed.
After the seminar, a meeting was held at The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) project office in Turkmenistan. The meeting was attended by Mergen Kepbanov, the Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan, FAO representative Viktor Lagutov, Muhammet Durikov, the Director of the International Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD) Scientific Information Center, Batyr Mamedov, the Head of the ICSD Secretariat, Nazar Allaberdiev, a FAO national consultant on land and water resources, and Dovlet Jumakuliev, an expert on climate change.
The projects that were under development were discussed at the meeting.
Viktor Logutov noted that, in order to work at the level of local communities, it was planned to transfer the third component of the project being developed to CAREC. This decision was made due to the fact that the project office has demonstrated high efficiency both at the regional and national levels.
This meeting was a significant step towards strengthening collaboration and coordination between different organizations working in the area of environmental protection and sustainable development.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
Additional information:
Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan, turkmenistan@carececo.org
