LocationsUNDP and partners meet to discuss a new joint project to strengthen Turkmenistan’s resilience to the impacts of the Aral Sea crisis
November 11, 2022
UNDP and partners meet to discuss a new joint project to strengthen Turkmenistan’s resilience to the impacts of the Aral Sea crisis
Ashgabat, 10 November 2022: UNDP in Turkmenistan together with national partners convened the Inception Workshop of the project «Conservation and Sustainable Management of Land Resources and High Nature Value Ecosystems in the Aral Sea Basin for Multiple Benefits», funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented jointly by the UNDP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan.
“It is expected that this important project will have an additional and supportive impact on the implementation of the National Aral Sea Programme for 2021-2025,” - noted Mr. Rovshen Nurmuhammedov, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative in Turkmenistan. “It will complement the UNDP projects on environment and energy and will help the country to implement appropriate adaptation planning mechanisms to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.”
The Inception Workshop was attended by representatives of the ministries and entities of Turkmenistan that will be involved in the project implementation, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, the State Committee for Water Resources, Milli Gengesh (Parliament), the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Committee on Statistics, the State Commercial Bank "Daykhanbank", the Hyakimliks of Lebap and Dashoguz velayats, the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan and NGOs.
During the meeting, participants discussed the project implementation, including the project goals and objectives, implementation strategy, the Work Plan for 2023, strategy for the engagement with partners, stakeholders and beneficiaries, monitoring and evaluation procedures, as well as the efficient functioning of the project governance mechanisms.
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The $4.6 million project “Conservation and Sustainable Management of Land Resources and Natural Ecosystems in the Aral Sea Basin”, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), aims to promote the land degradation neutrality and initial investments in participatory, integrated land use planning to restore and improve the use of land and water resources with considerations for key biodiversity habitats to secure critical ecosystem services. Further the project will address the drivers of biodiversity degradation, to strengthen the protection of globally important biodiversity, habitats, and species, through the expansion of the protected area system and strengthening of their management effectiveness. As result, the project will increase the resilience of the local population and preserve globally significant ecosystems in the zone of influence of the Aral Sea crisis in the Lebap and Dashoguz pilot velayats. The project will also support international knowledge sharing and engagement of Turkmenistan in the Aral Sea Basin management, to ensure wider synergies and regional cooperation.
