Combating against desertification: National practice and ecological diplomacy

Today, Turkmenistan and entire world community observe important ecological date for Central Asian region where land farming and water management are united into synergic mechanism of eco-friendly agricultural management, careful treatment of natural resources.

Desertification is a global ecological, social and economic problem. It is expressed as the loss of plant cover on vast territories and forming of landscapes with shifting sands. These processes are the main reasons of global reduction of resources of fertile lands.

Turkmenistan was one of the first countries that ratified the UN Convention for combating desertification in 1996 and developed national action plan for implementation of this document after one year. In general, the country has joined all three global UN Conventions – on combating desertification, protection of ozone layer and climate change.

Large-scale economic projects have been developed and implemented in our country by initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov taking into account undertaken obligations in the context of ratified conventions including conventions on combating desertification. The UN decade dedicated to this problem announced by the UN General Assembly for January 2010 – December 2020 is finished this year. Its goal is to support organization of events for protection of drylands. Several major natural protection projects initiated by President of Turkmenistan Berdimuhamedov have been implemented in the country to support this decade.

Turkmen leader has proposed several important initiatives aimed at solution of Aral Sea problems, protection of environment in Caspian Sea basin. By the initiative of our country, the UN General Assembly has adopted several Resolutions, including on cooperation with the UN and IFAS. It is worth reminding that the Fund is observer in the UN General Assembly since 2008 and new format of the partnership, which meets the UN goals and objectives in solution of global problems of economic, social and humanitarian character as it is mentioned in the document, is very important in the context of consolidated mitigation of Aral Sea crisis.

The country has adopted more than fifty ecological national laws and subsidiary laws. The main government programmes have reflected the concept of balanced agricultural production, rational use of lands and pastures. It supports efficient promotion of reforms in agricultural complex and is aimed at the growth of agricultural production, support of entrepreneurship initiative, structural diversification under the programmes of import substitution and export orientation.

Ecological strategy of Turkmenistan implies rational methods of management, scientific organization of production and application of advanced technologies, which allows avoiding adverse impact on environment.

Project of social and production cluster of new model in the area of Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake is a bright example of integrated approach to solution of ecological problems. New village will have all capabilities for activity of young scientists, researches and developers, rationalizers and testers. Studies in the development of smart farming and modern technologies, production of livestock and fishery, opening of waste-free industrial facilities as well as renewable sources of energy will be highly required.

Realization of Turkmenistan National Forest Programme, which was adopted in 2013, is finished this year. The development of this document was based on ecological initiatives of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, which was proposed at the 65th and 66th sessions of the UN General Assembly. From the adoption of the programme in 2013, spontaneous planting has transformed into targeted measure supported by scientific experience for adapting to the consequence of the climate change.

Inventory of forests, development of normative and legal acts following from the Forest Code of Turkmenistan, studies for cultivation of woody plants along collectors of Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lakes have been carried out under the programme.