A pilot workshop within the Project Capacity Building and on-the-ground Investments for Integrated and Sustainable Land Management under the project implemented by the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan, Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the German Society for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) was held in the Turkmen capital. The leading specialists of the national ministries and departments, biologists, ecologists, the international experts of the non-governmental environmental organisations and the representatives of the Tenants’ Union and the Entrepreneurs’ Union of Turkmenistan took part in the workshop.

The forum was organised by the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan, the Desert, Plant and Animal Life Research Institute and the National Center to Combat Desertification within the activities on implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. By ratifying the Convention in 1996 Turkmenistan reaffirmed its readiness for active endeavours to achieve the Convention goals including land reclamation, efficient use of water and land resources, pasture improvement, forest preservation and rehabilitation, conservation of biological diversity, improvement of the environmental legislation, environmental education and international co-operation.

The Capacity Building and on-the-ground Investments for Integrated and Sustainable Land Management Project is implemented within the framework of the Central Asian Countries Initiative for Land Management (CACILM). Aimed at combating land degradation and improvement of the standards of living in rural areas the Programme has been implemented in Turkmenistan since 2005. The main project interventions include elaboration of the National Framework Programme (NFP), which will identify the national priorities in sustainable land resource management and set forth the strategy.

The project will be simultaneously launched in three different natural regions: in the desert area, the territory of the Karakum farmers association in Ruhabat Etrap, the mountainous settlements Yenish in Baharly Etrap and the irrigated areas, Zyahmet farmer association in Sakarchaga Etrap. The project is to be completed by 2010.

The participants discussed the priority aspects of the activities including increased capacity land users for sustainable management of their land resources, creation of enabling environment for improvement of land use, stabilization of soil productivity, rehabilitation of degraded pastures and forestry, creation of the national land monitoring system, and called for intensification of relevant scientific research.