С 14 по 16 апреля в уютной атмосфере Библиотеки Лебапского велаята состоялся трёхдневный тренинг на тему «Оценка и применение природоподобных решений». Проектный офис A three-day training on “Assessment and application of nature-based solutions” was held in the cozy atmosphere of the Library of Lebap velayat from April 14 to 16. The Project Office of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) in Turkmenistan is expanding its activities to involve partners in climate change adaptation activities. Within the framework of the signed agreement between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan, the Project Office, with the support of FAO and the Ministry of Environment Protection of Turkmenistan, conducted a three-day training for partners on informative positive adaptive international practices of the nature-based solutions (NBS) concept of endemic vegetation reforestation and ecosystem restoration. The training was attended by representatives of local Hakimliks of Lebap velayat and Chardzhou etrap, Gengeshlik Bitik and Gengeshlik Gendi, Department of Environment Protection, State Biosphere Reserve “Repetek”, forestry of Lebap velayat and Chardzhou etrap, representatives of press, public organization “Tyaze Zaman”, Ministry of Environment Protection of Turkmenistan, SIC ICSD, National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna of Turkmenistan, as well as international partners FAO and CAREC.
The training started with a warm welcome from the library staff. Before the main program, they invited the participants to a small excursion, where they were shown the museum of rare books and the observatory located at the library. Many of the participants looked with interest at the books, the age of which is impossible to determine - That's how ancient they are.
The official opening of the training was marked by welcome remarks from representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan: Shamammed Sarykhanov, Head of the Forestry Department, and Mergen Yusupov, Deputy Head of the Department for International Cooperation and Environmental Projects. They were joined by international partners — Evetta Zenina, Project Manager from the FAO Subregional Office, and Daler Domullojonov, International Expert from the FAO Subregional Office, as well as Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the CAREC Country Office in Turkmenistan, who also moderated the first session.
The participants got to know each other, shared their expectations for the training, and jointly established the "Golden Rules" for interaction throughout the three days — respect for others' opinions, active participation, maintaining silence during sessions, and more. In addition, three working groups were formed — duty team, energizers, and the recap group — each playing a special role in the upcoming teamwork.
The first day’s program was both rich and informative. The first presentation was delivered by Shamammed Sarykhanov, who spoke about the Forest Program of Turkmenistan and its role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Evetta Zenina provided a detailed explanation of the significance of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in planning sustainable strategies. Joragul Halbayeva, the Chief Legal Advisor of the Ministry of environment protection of Turkmenistan, introduced the legal framework for forest management, while Allanazar Cherkezov, a forest management specialist from Lebap velayat, shared insights into the system and structure of the forest management in the Chardzhou etrap. The session concluded with Nazar Allaberdiyev from the SIC ICSD, who presented on the impact of climate change on the Lebap velayat.
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In the afternoon, the session was moderated by Nazar Allaberdiyev, who initiated the discussion on specific nature-based solutions using the pilot region — Chardzhou etrap — as an example. Experts shared their knowledge and experience, each presenting a dedicated topic. Dovlet Jumagulyyev, national expert, delivered a presentation on “Opportunities for Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture in the Pilot Region of Chardzhou etrap.” Batyr Mamedov, Head of the The Scientific Information Center of ICSD spoke on “The Use of Rainwater Runoff for Afforestation in Pasture Areas.”
And Daler Domullodzhanov, FAO international expert, made a presentation on “Use of nature-like solutions for solving environmental problems”. The participants were particularly interested in group work on calculation of rainwater volumes and subsequent presentation of the results. Evetta Zenina summarized the results of the day.
The second day was opened by Mergen Kepbanov. The working groups presented brief summaries of the previous day, after which Daler Domullodzhanov led a session on the potential of nature-based solutions to increase water retention in the root zone, support sustainable agriculture, and promote the conservation and rational use of water resources. Participants once again formed teams and worked on specific areas — reforestation, rainwater harvesting, and beekeeping — guided by experienced facilitators.
In the afternoon, under the moderation of Batyr Mamedov, presentations were held on land salinity adaptation and the use of halophytes, as well as the importance of black saxaul in restoring saline-affected areas. Guljemal Gurbanmamedova, Senior Researcher at the Department of Forests and Pastures of the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna of Turkmenistan, also delivered a presentation. She shared insights on the practice of cultivating pistachios as one of the sustainable solutions for reforestation and increasing the economic value of degraded lands. The day continued with a field visit to the nursery of the Forest Department, where participants, alongside trainers, took part in hands-on activities to prepare and plant seeds of resilient species.
The final, third day was moderated by Mergen Yusupov. It began with a summary of the previous sessions, followed by a presentation from Daler Domullodzhanov, who introduced participants to the international WOCAT platform — a global database of sustainable land management practices. Using this network, participants explored and selected the most suitable nature-based solutions adapted to their specific local conditions.
In the afternoon, during an intensive group exercise, participants identified bioengineering measures to address local challenges, assessed potential risks, and selected the most appropriate approaches. The training concluded with a joint discussion, evaluation of the sessions, and a summary of key takeaways.
The official closing of the event took place with the participation of representatives from the local authorities, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the CAREC office, and the FAO Subregional Office. A highlight of the day was the certificate award ceremony for the participants. At the conclusion of the training, participants expressed their gratitude to the organizers for an engaging and informative seminar, emphasizing the value of the knowledge gained and the opportunity for experience exchange. Many highlighted that they had gained valuable new insights and were pleased to share their own methods and practices, which fostered an especially productive and inspiring atmosphere throughout the training.
The training turned out to be truly intensive and valuable. It was great to see how actively the participants engaged in the process — not just listening, but sharing their own examples, asking questions, and participating in discussions. What’s especially important is that we didn’t just talk about nature-based solutions, but also had the opportunity to apply them in practice during the group exercises. Formats like this allow for a deeper understanding of the topic and help us see how these approaches can work in our local contexts,” said Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan.
Additional infortmation:
Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the Project Office in Turkmenistan