UNDP initiates the development of recommendations for establishing a monitoring and evaluation system for adaptation activities in Turkmenistan

November 28, 2023

UNDP initiates the development of recommendations for establishing a monitoring and evaluation system for adaptation activities in Turkmenistan

UNDP Turkmenistan

Ashgabat, 23 November 2023: On 23rd of November, in the framework of the UNDP/GCF project “Developing a National Adaptation Planning Process in Turkmenistan” a roundtable for the national stakeholders was organized to present the proposed approach for the development of the monitoring and evaluation system for measuring the climate change adaptation efforts. A well-established monitoring and evaluation system can serve multiple goals, such as supporting the progress and effectiveness of implementing adaptation measures, informing decision-makers about the best options that support adaptation strategies, ensuring transparency and accountability to the public and international communities, and supporting the country's reporting on international commitments, such as the Paris Agreement.

In climate change adaptation efforts, where uncertainty is often prevalent, such a system can bolster an adaptive management approach, enabling responses to new data and evolving conditions. 

Roundtable participants gained insights into globally implemented approaches and experiences in developing such systems, as well as discussed the proposed steps for establishing these systems at the national level. 

Project experts have presented an analysis of national-level documents that stipulate the adaptation priorities, made from the perspective of the applicability of adaptation process indicators. UNDP international expert Ms. Ecaterina Melnicenco remarked: “There is no single, standardized methodology that a country can apply in the process of development. That is why it is very important to learn from existing experiences, best practices, and start stakeholder discussions to integrate into already existing systems and processes”.

Following this, participants reviewed the indicators suggested for each priority sector outlined in Turkmenistan's National Strategy on Climate Change. They emphasized the significance of crafting indicators that specifically capture adaptation efforts for each sector, with a particular focus on water efficiency in agriculture and ongoing processes related to the Caspian Sea. 

In concluding the roundtable, participants deliberated on the applicability of the proposed system for Turkmenistan and discussed the subsequent steps required for its implementation.