Establishing a Regional Center to Combat Desertification for Central Asia and neighboring countries is among the environmental initiatives presented by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov at the UN General Assembly marking the Organization’s 80th anniversary.
The proposed center would coordinate regional action on desertification and land degradation, pool national capacities and expand environmental cooperation. The initiative places particular emphasis on restoring and conserving desert ecosystems.
The publication by Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Environmental Protection stresses that the transboundary nature of desertification and drought calls for joint action. For Central Asia, much of which lies in arid and semi-arid zones, cooperation in this area is closely linked to climate adaptation and the conservation of land resources.
Turkmenistan is a Party to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The article highlights the development of national action plans in accordance with the Convention, alongside the adoption of a regional action plan to combat desertification in Central Asia.
The initiative calls for stronger links with international conventions and regional and global programmes addressing desertification and drought. The proposed center is expected to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change adaptation and the conservation of terrestrial ecosystems.
📌 Source: Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan
