LocationsUNDP jointly with IOM present best practices on adaptation to climate change to support the national adaptation planning process
February 24, 2023
UNDP jointly with IOM present best practices on adaptation to climate change to support the national adaptation planning process
Ashgabat, 21-22 February 2023: The United Nations Development Programme jointly with the International Organization for Migration in Turkmenistan organized a workshop on “Best International Practices on Adaptation to Climate Change and their Integration into the National Adaptation Planning Process”. During the two-day workshop, relevant national stakeholders were presented with the best international practices and ways to integrate them into the national adaptation planning process in Turkmenistan.
Representatives of relevant ministries and State bodies of Turkmenistan, including the Mejlis, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, the State Committee of Water Management, the Ministry of Adalat, the Ministry of Healthcare and Medical Industry, the State Statistics Committee, the Main Directorate of Civil Defense and Rescue Operations of the Ministry of Defense, the Administrations of the cities of Ashgabat and Dashoguz, the Caspian Sea Institute and the Women’s Union participated in the workshop.
Participants were introduced to examples of best regional adaptation practices in various sectors in countries with similar climatic conditions, including neighboring countries facing similar climate change challenges. In particular, they discussed the ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) approach, which aims to maintain and increase resilience, as well as reduce the vulnerability of ecosystems and people to the adverse impacts of climate change. The workshop participants also discussed the importance of an integrated approach to adaptation planning at the level of all sectors.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Maya Ashirova, Manager of the UNDP/ GCF project "Developing a National Adaptation Planning Process in Turkmenistan" noted: “There is no doubt that climate change is comprehensive, since almost all sectors of the economy are facing the negative consequences of climate change. An intersectoral approach is applied for the national adaptation planning process in Turkmenistan, which takes into account a whole range of issues relevant to our country. During the workshop we will look at various aspects of adaptation to climate change in the water and agricultural sectors and discuss the inclusion of migration and health issues in the NAP.”
Another topic of discussion was the integration of the nexus of migration, environment and climate change into the NAP. In particular, the Supplement on Human Mobility to the UNFCCC Technical Guidelines on the National Adaptation Plan Process was presented. Based on the experience of Moldova, the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Actions of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) into the NAP process was reviewed. In Moldova, this work was implemented jointly by national partners, IOM and UNDP.
“Over the past two decades, IOM has contributed to the global recognition of the link between migration and climate change, thanks to which we are witnessing a progressive transition from a lack of interest and understanding of the climatic and environmental factors of migration to increased awareness of stakeholders, formulating migration topics within the framework of a coherent national development policy on climate change, more evidence, strengthening partnerships and policy instruments, where this connection is explicitly recognized,”- said Mr. Timur Dosmammedov, Head of IOM Office in Turkmenistan.
In the follow up discussions and group work, the workshop participants reviewed issues related to adaptation planning through a gender lens, guided by the principle of “not leaving the most vulnerable groups behind”.
The workshop is a joint event organized by the UNDP/ GCF project “Developing a National Adaptation Planning Process in Turkmenistan” and the IOM project “Mainstreaming the Migration, Environment and Climate Change Nexus into Climate-Related National Planning Processes” in close cooperation with the national partners of both projects - the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan.
