A three-day seminar held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, brought together national and international experts to discuss improvements to the country’s forest legislation, as reported by the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper.
The seminar focused on adapting international forestry principles, presented by the UN and FAO programs, to the specific context of Turkmenistan. Participants included leading desert scientists, specialists from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, legal experts, forestry professionals, soil scientists, climatologists, and representatives from universities and environmental NGOs.
Covering the topic of adapting international forestry principles, FAO experts presented an approach based on criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management. This builds upon the ongoing project “Integrated Natural Resources Management in Drought-prone and Salt-affected Agricultural Production Landscapes in Central Asia and Turkey (CACILM2),” which concludes this year.
Touching upon the pace of improving the Forest Code of Turkmenistan, discussions explored the possibility of revising the existing code in line with international best practices while considering the unique needs of the country.
Experts addressed the importance of effective monitoring and reporting systems for forest management, including the implementation of the National Forest Program.
The forestry in Turkmenistan has unique aspects. Unlike some other regions, forestry in Turkmenistan does not primarily focus on timber production. The primary goals are to enhance ecosystem health and create new oases in the hot climate, as well as protect existing forests from fires, diseases, and pests.
The seminar resulted in proposals for improving forest management practices in Turkmenistan. These include strengthening forest cadastre management, enhancing the capacity of forest protection services, establishing clear regulations for leasing forest land.
The proposals will be further developed and presented to relevant authorities.
A forest monitoring system based on agreed-upon criteria and indicators will be established. Cooperation between Turkmenistan and FAO in the area of forest management will continue.
Additionally, representatives of the FAO Regional Center in Türkiye met with the Ministry of Environmental Protection to explore new areas of collaboration. They visited forest belts near Ashgabat and Arkadag, as well as a state forest nursery in the Geoktepe etrap. ///nCa, 7 March 2024