The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) within the project "Supporting climate resilient livelihoods in agricultural communities in drought-prone areas of Turkmenistan" has conducted a 5-day tree-planting campaign to plant fruit trees in the Lebap velayat, Danew etrap and Dashoguz velayat, Gorogly etrap.

The campaign aims at implementing the climate change adaptation measures and strengthening the resilience of rural population, including girls and women, by supporting the development of horticulture as a main or alternative source of income. The event is expected to improve the agricultural practices of farmers in household plots, as well as increase the yields and incomes in the context of an increasing water shortage and climate change.

More than 50 representatives of a private sector, local community, universities and local administrations participated in the campaign. In total, about 5,000 fruit tree seedlings were planted in two project regions, procured with the support of the USAID’s Competitiveness, Trade and Jobs activity in Central Asia (CTJ) project from the nursery in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The tree planting campaign was preceded by a series of training sessions and the development of a practical manual and recommendations on horticulture in the region-specific conditions organized with the support of the Governance Support Program, funded by the USAID.

In the framework of the project, the most active training participants have been provided with a drip irrigation system procured by the project to introduce efficient irrigation methods and a small-scale production of vermicompost has been established, necessary for seedlings feeding in the process of horticulture development.

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As part of the project activities, UNDP seeks to implement an integrated and cross-sectoral ecosystem approach at the rural level that contributes to changing agricultural practices and policies towards sustainable development in the context of climate change. The dissemination of successful and sustainable practices for the development of viable horticulture, along with building the capacity of the local community, contributes to more sustainable land and water management and increases the opportunities for local people to generate an additional source of income.