At the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Turkmenistan was held a meeting of the working group of the regional FAO-GEF project "Integrated management of natural resources in arid and saline areas of Central Asia and Turkey (CACILM-2)".
The event was attended by representatives of various departments of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, the Turkmen Agricultural University, the "Orimeydanlarysuvlandyrash" Production Association, Giprovodkhoz, the Kopetdag Reserve, scientists and specialists of the "НИПРЖМ", the national project manager and experts, etc.
The meeting was opened by the Deputy Head of the Department for the Coordination of International Environmental Cooperation and Projects of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and the project coordinator M. Yusupov, who noted the successful development of fruitful cooperation between FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection. The meeting provided general information on the work performed for 2022 and three months of the current year and discussed the work plan for the second half of 2023 for the 2nd and 3rd components of the project. The National Project Manager R. Khanekov elaborated on each of the planned activities, implemented technologies and methods in each pilot region separately. In addition, a procurement plan for new agricultural machinery and equipment for 2023 was presented. The participants of the meeting were also informed about the planned trainings and seminars, about the preparation and release of printed materials on effective methods and technologies.
One of the main issues discussed at the meeting was the need to update the content of the National Action Program to Combat Desertification (NAPCD). As noted by the head of the SIC ICSD and the National Coordinator of the UNCCD Convention M. Durikov, in recent years, a lot of work has been done in Turkmenistan to implement the NAPCD, including: to combat the degradation of desert pastures, soil salinization, wind and water erosion processes. However, with the adoption of a new program for the socio-economic development of the country, a new National Climate Change Strategy, the Forest Program, and the Aral Sea Program, there is a need to develop an updated version of the NAPCD. It is expected that it will be developed in the second half of the year, taking into account modern requirements and tasks set in the country's socio-economic development programs.
The head of the laboratory of "НИПРЖМ" B. Durdyev noted the importance of the implementation of the National plan for the introduction of a digital system in the fight against desertification processes in the territory of Turkmenistan. This will make it possible to assess the state of all agrogeosystems based on coupled methods of ground monitoring and remote sensing, to carry out digital mapping of soil salinity in all velayats of the country and to apply hyperspectral analysis to restore degraded soils.
