Ashgabat, 24 August 2021: In the framework of the project "Supporting climate resilient livelihoods in agricultural communities in drought-prone areas of Turkmenistan" jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programmed (UNDP), the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and GEF Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), an online national workshop on the development of a system of measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of adaptation measures, with the participation of an international expert, was organized.  The seminar was attended by representatives of line ministries, academic institutions and UNDP specialists in Turkmenistan.

During the event, the participants got familiarized with the new guidelines and specific approaches of the forthcoming changes to the reporting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

"The development of national adaptation plans, its implementation, monitoring of implementation and reporting is one of the main requirements of the Paris Agreement, and by 2024 the reporting requirements of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will change," said international consultant Glen Anderson.

The MRV system of measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of adaptation measures discussed at the workshop is a tool for preparing information on the progress made in the implementation of the National Adaptation Plan and the Paris Agreement itself.

The projected MRV system will be used in the preparation of national reports on environment and climate for various national audiences and will provide evidence-based data for the national policy and decision-making in the field of environmental protection. The MRV system will help to increase national investments in the adaptation measures and strengthen national capacity for conducting an adaptation analysis, as well as to increase the private sector’s participation and improve the access to international financing for adaptation measures.

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A joint project between UNDP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan " Supporting climate resilient livelihoods in agricultural communities in drought-prone areas of Turkmenistan" was launched in 2016 and aims to support adoption of adaptation measures with climate change considerations for sustainable development of agricultural communities living in Lebap and Dashoguz velayats of Turkmenistan. The added value of the project is that the project will allow farmers in one of the country's driest regions to overcome critical barriers that prevent them from reducing their vulnerability to acute water scarcity due to climate change and other natural risks in agriculture.