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EUROPE AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF
INDEPENDENT STATES
TURKMENISTAN
Environmental Strategy Approved by Head of State 2
SPOTLIGHT
KAZAKHSTAN
Caspian
Sea
Dashoguz
TURKMENISTAN
Turkmenabat
IRAN
Ashgabat
UZBEKISTAN
AFGHANISTAN
Turkmenistan possesses a rich and unique biological diversity comprised of river
valley, oases and montane ecosystems, with desert ecosystems occupying the
majority of the country. Some ecosystems remain relatively unaffected by human activities, as 90% of the population and
production is concentrated on only about 10% of the country’s territory. On the one hand, it is only necessary to protect the
environment on a relatively limited and intensively developed territory; on the other hand, the possibility of further development
of the vast desert territory requires strict policy to prevent development proceeding in a non-sustainable manner.
UNDP is supporting Turkmenistan in the design, implementation and enforcement of environmental legislation, particularly
for biodiversity conservation under the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) with GEF support. The project’s
goal is to build human and institutional capacity to better address existing and emerging environmental issues. Under
the overall guidance of the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP), activities will include methods to dramatically
improve environmental data collection, analysis and monitoring. The NEAP is a permanent planning document covering
environmental protection and sets out concrete activities in the improvement of environmental management and sustainable
use of natural resources.
In 2002, the President of Turkmenistan approved the NEAP, obliging all government entities to participate in its implementation.
The NEAP has been incorporated into the National Development Strategy and is a product of the joint Government-
UNDP National Environment Programme. The complexity of environmental problems in the region demands coordination
and cooperation to find common solutions. To this end, UNDP is also supporting Turkmenistan’s engagement in regional
environmental initiatives such as Econet; a project designed to revise and improve the national protected areas system, currently
based on a system of natural reserves (zapovedniks) established during Soviet times.
BIODIVERSITY
QUICK FACTS
Total UNDP-GEF and Co-Finance: $1,604,020
Total UNDP and Co-Finance: $434,935
Total: $2,038,955
Cumulative Total ODS Phased-Out:
31 ODP tonnes
262