On 14 March 2025, a training session on SMART inspection was held at the Hydrometeorological Service building of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan.
The event, organized by the Ministry in cooperation with the Center for the Conservation of Large Landscapes (CLLC) and Conservation X Labs, focused on the implementation of the SMART mobile application for wildlife monitoring.
SMART is a programmable application that simplifies the collection and analysis of field research data, utilizing GPS, GIS, and analytical databases. This enhances the effectiveness of environmental protection measures and anti-poaching efforts.
Currently, the SMART system is used in over 700 specially protected natural areas across 60 countries worldwide.
In Turkmenistan, SMART has been implemented since 2022 as part of a joint project and is already successfully applied in the Koytendag Nature Reserve and the Balkan Environmental Protection Department. Plans are underway to expand the system’s use to other reserves.
The training session addressed issues related to the implementation and use of SMART, and analyzed results from pilot projects.///nCa, 14 March 2025