UNDP and partners meet to discuss a new joint project to build resilience of the country to the Aral Sea crisis

December 17, 2021

Ashgabat, 17 December 2021: The UNDP in Turkmenistan together with national partners organized a meeting of Local Project Appraisal Committee to evaluate the recently launched project “Conservation and Sustainable Management of Land Resources and High Nature Value Ecosystems in the Aral Sea Basin for Multiple Benefits”, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented jointly by UNDP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan.

The meeting gathered representatives of the Ministries and entities of Turkmenistan that will be engaged in the project implementation, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, the State Committee for Water Resources, Milli Gengesh (Parliament), the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Committee on Statistics, the State Commercial Bank "Daykhanbank", the Hyakimliks of Lebap and Dashoguz velayats and the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan.

During the meeting participants discussed a number of issues related to project implementation, including the project goals and objectives, monitoring and evaluation procedures, the proposed composition of the project board and the appointment of a National Project Coordinator.

“It is expected that this new project will support the efforts of the Government of Turkmenistan in building resilience of selected pilot regions of Turkmenistan to the environmental and socio-economic consequences of the Aral Sea crisis,” – noted Rovshen Nurmuhammedov, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative.

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A $4,6 mln project “Conservation and Sustainable Management of Land Resources and High Nature Value Ecosystems in the Aral Sea Basin for Multiple Benefits”, funded by the GEF aims at promoting the land degradation neutrality, restoration and improvement of the use of land and water resources as well as conservation of biodiversity in the Aral Sea crisis zone in Lebap and Dashoguz provinces, to enhance the sustainability and resilience of livelihoods and globally significant ecosystems.

The project will also provide further support Turkmenistan’s initiatives within the framework of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.