On April 17, 2025, a consultation with stakeholders was held in Ashgabat on the implementation of climate-resilient technologies in the sectors of agriculture, forestry and other types of land use. The event was held within the framework of the Project Promoting the readiness and preparation of the GCF "Enhancing Turkmenistan's capacity for access to climate finance through capacity building and strategic framework" implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment Protection of Turkmenistan, which supports Turkmenistan's efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change and addresses the country's specific vulnerabilities such as land degradation, salinization, and water scarcity.
The meeting brought together a wide range of participants: representatives of ministries, research institutes, financial and insurance organizations, as well as the private sector. The discussions were attended by the Ministry of Environment Protection of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Agriculture of Turkmenistan, the Central Bank of Turkmenistan, the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, universities and other key structures of Turkmenistan.
The CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan was represented at the consultation by Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the office.
"Such events give us the opportunity not only to discuss theories, but also to really work on specific steps. Here we hear different opinions, find common ideas and points of contact between government, science and business. It is important that we are talking about specific technologies, problems and investments. By working together, we can create sustainable solutions," Mergen Kepbanov noted.
The consultation program included a discussion of:
priority technologies adapted to the climatic realities of Turkmenistan;
ways to attract private investment and overcome regulatory barriers;
climate finance monitoring tools;
integration of proposals into the country's strategic documents.
In addition, the participants actively participated in the group work, during which key issues and proposals for the implementation of climate-resilient technologies in the relevant sectors were discussed. The results of this work were presented at a general discussion.
The consultation was an important step in shaping a shared vision to promote climate-resilient solutions. The collected ideas and proposals will form the basis for further steps to develop an investment plan and prepare a technology framework program.
Additional information:
Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the Project Office in Turkmenistan, turkmenistan@carececo.org