Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 30 March 2025 – In a recent interview with TASS, the Director of the Scientific-Information Center of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (SIC ICSD), Mr. Mukhammet Durikov, spoke about large-scale environmental initiatives being implemented in Turkmenistan. One of the key priorities is addressing the consequences of the Aral Sea desiccation. As part of the National Forestry Programme, approximately 40,000 hectares of arid land have been planted with shrubs and trees. Particular attention is given to salt-tolerant species, such as black saxaul, oleaster, and poplar, which help mitigate land degradation caused by soil salinization and salt-dust storms. Mr. Durikov emphasized that the programme must be extended further, as environmental challenges remain pressing.
In another interview, Mr. Durikov highlighted an important initiative on restoring the rangeland ecosystems of the Central Karakum Desert, which covers more than 80% of Turkmenistan's territory. In cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a comprehensive plan for sustainable rangeland management under drought conditions has been developed. The project, covering 800,000 hectares, includes the introduction of pasture rotation systems, improvement of water supply, application of GIS technologies, and the creation of a database for monitoring. The results obtained will serve as a basis for scaling up these practices to other arid regions of Turkmenistan.