Turkmenistan updates its strategy to combat desertification on the occasion of the World Day to Combat Land Degradation
Ashgabat, June 17, 2025 — On the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, a seminar was held in Ashgabat dedicated to the revision of the National Action Programme to Combat Desertification (NAPCD). The event was organized by the Scientific and Information Center of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (SIC ICSD) in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, as part of the UNDP/GEF project on sustainable land management in the Aral Sea basin.
The seminar brought together representatives of government bodies, research institutions, international and civil society organizations. The participants discussed the priorities of the updated NAPCD, including:
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Integration with other strategic documents
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Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) approaches
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Reduction of drought and dust storm risks
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Legal and institutional frameworks
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The use of satellite data for monitoring, with a particular focus on the example of Erbent
Special attention was given to the role of the NAPCD in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 15 ("Life on Land"), as well as to strengthening the legislative and institutional framework for land protection in Turkmenistan.
The event also featured a video message from the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which emphasized Turkmenistan’s important contribution to global efforts aimed at restoring degraded lands.
Source: Scientific and Information Center of the ICSD
