Ashgabat, November 26, 2021: Within 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 Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and the GEF Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), a five-day training "Features of atmospheric circulation and synoptic processes in Turkmenistan and neighboring states", was held in a hybrid format.

The seminar was held with the participation of an international lecturer, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Mr. Erkin Isaev (Bishkek), who introduced the participants to the possibilities of various programmes for modeling and forecasting weather using digital technologies. The Kyrgyz expert will also provide assistance to the Hydrometeorological Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan with the preparation of Methodological Guidelines for compiling storm wind reviews, hazardous phenomena and instructions for forecasting precipitation in Turkmenistan, based on international experience.

In addition to the staff of Hydrometeorological Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, the specialists from the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (SIC ICSD) of Turkmenistan, teachers of the Turkmen State University named after Makhtumtkuli, Turkmen Agricultural University named after S.A. Niyazov and the Turkmen Agricultural Institute (Dashoguz) participated in the trainings.

“The purpose of the seminar is to discuss the characteristics of atmospheric circulation and strengthen the potential of the Hydrometeorological Service in providing quality services to the population and organizations, as well as environmental scientists and climatologists,” - noted Farhat Orunov, Programme Analyst of the UNDP Environmental Portfolio in Turkmenistan. “Hydrometeorological Service of Turkmenistan is part of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) network, which supports interstate cooperation and exchange of data within global, regional and national observation systems. Therefore, the continuous improvement of the capacity of the scientific and technical personnel is an important condition to meet the objectives of national forecasting system and to ensure the sustainable development of economic and agricultural sectors.”

The event was organized with the assistance of the project partner - the “Governance Support Program” funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

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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.

One of the main project objectives is to support the Government in improving institutional and legal mechanisms for the effective use of water and land resources, including the introduction of climate adaptation measures through Institutional changes.

In this context, the project is actively involved in the development of a strong regulatory framework in the field of land and water resource management by attracting qualified law specialists and creating a platform for discussions, exchange of knowledge and experience to combine the efforts on the revision of current regulations.