Scientific and practical conference “State environmental policy of the esteemed President of Turkmenistan is the basis of sustainable development and a green economy”, dedicated to World Environment Day, held yesterday, in the conference hall of the administrative building of the Agricultural Complex.

The forum was attended, including via digital communication, by heads and specialists of environmental structures and sectoral departments, representatives of Milli Gengesh, the scientific community, universities and public associations of the country, as well as authoritative international and regional organizations - United Nations Development Program, United Nations Regional Center for preventive diplomacy for Central Asia, UN Environment Programme, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC), European Union, OSCE, German Society for International Cooperation, etc.

World Environment Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 and has since been celebrated in many countries, uniting the world community in an effort to more actively unite in solving global problems of our time. This is an occasion to think about the responsibility of everyone for the ecological state of the planet and the need to respect nature, as well as the opportunity to take an active part in preserving its beauty and wealth for the benefit of future generations.

Currently, program work is being carried out to ensure environmental well-being in the country, the tasks outlined by the National Strategy of Turkmenistan on Climate Change and the National Forest Program are being successfully implemented, which also provides for a careful attitude to the unique nature of our region.

“As a result of this purposeful activity, the capital of our state, the city of Ashgabat, and the velayats are surrounded by green forest belts, the boundaries of which are constantly expanding. On the clean coast of the Caspian Sea, the Avaza National Tourist Zone has been opened, where the most favorable conditions have been created for the recreation of Turkmen citizens and foreign guests. Inhaling the healing sea air, vacationers can admire the surrounding beauties, the peculiar nature of this corner of our earth. The man-made Turkmen lake “Altyn asyr”, created in the center of the Karakum Desert, has a beneficial effect on the local ecology, enriching the flora and fauna, and at the same time the ecological well-being of the entire region,” the President’s Address says.

The reports made at the plenary session comprehensively covered the multifaceted work that is being carried out in Turkmenistan to ensure environmental well-being, rational use and increase of the richest natural resources, increase the biodiversity of flora and fauna, and turn the Motherland into a flourishing land.

They also spoke about nationwide planting campaigns, as a result of which in Ashgabat and its environs, in all cities and villages of Turkmenistan, the areas of landscape gardening zones and forest belts increase every year, millions of tree seedlings are planted. The annual holding of these actions has become part of our lives and has received ardent support from the population.

As emphasized, ensuring environmental safety is defined as one of the main directions of the state policy, consistently implemented by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. All large-scale transformations to ensure dynamic economic growth and modernization of the social sphere are closely linked to the environmental component as an indispensable condition for a prosperous life in all respects.

Our country is taking concrete steps towards their practical implementation, primarily by creating a reliable legal framework that regulates this area. Evidence of this is the Constitution of Turkmenistan, which establishes a provision on state control over the rational use of natural resources and environmental protection.

The conference continued its work with a thematic session “Main directions of international cooperation in the field of environmental protection”, where foreign participants also joined the discussion on the digital system.

Our state, being an active participant in the international dialogue in this topical area, closely cooperates in the environmental sphere with all interested partners, primarily in the format of the United Nations and other authoritative international structures.

To date, Turkmenistan has ratified dozens of environmental conventions and international agreements in this area. At present, this productive cooperation is reaching higher levels, involving new participants and partners into its orbit.

The speakers noted that, being one of the first countries to adapt the SDGs at the national level, Turkmenistan is actively involved in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and conducts this work on a systematic basis, applying the basic criteria and indicators of the Goals in the preparation and implementation of constructive changes and perspective development plans. In each of the directions of the program document adopted by the UN, our state has a positive experience that is in demand both in the region and in the world.

Today, the thematic session "The importance of education and science in ensuring environmental well-being in Turkmenistan" was also held at the Turkmen Agricultural University named after S.A. Niyazov. Among the topics discussed are “Features of the methodology for providing knowledge and education in the field of ecology to students in the universities of Turkmenistan”, “The significance of the Turkmen lake “Altyn asyr” in enriching the biodiversity of our country”, “The environmental aspect of the use of advanced water-saving technologies in countries with arid climates”, "Books of the Hero-Arkadag - a source of environmental education", "The impact of economic objects on the ecosystems of the Karakum expanses", etc.

As the conference participants emphasized, the implementation of such a large-scale environmental project as the construction of the Altyn asyr Turkmen Lake in the Karakum Desert is of great importance not only for our country, but for the entire region. Along with this, a lot of work is being done to develop the national system of specially protected natural areas, an example of this is the Bereketli Garagum State Nature Reserve.

Modern "green" technologies are a prerequisite for the development of the Avaza National Tourist Zone located on the Caspian coast, which serves as an example of an integrated and rational approach to the use of the mineral, biological, sanatorium-resort and tourism potential of the region.

The session "Issues of improving the ecology of the Aral Sea region" was held at the Turkmen Agricultural Institute of the city of Dashoguz. The subject of a thorough discussion was such issues as the activities of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the work carried out in the states of the region to improve the ecological state and integrated use of the water resources of the Aral Sea basin in the face of climate change, as well as further strengthening partnerships to address water management, environmental and social problems. economic issues, interaction with international organizations.

It was noted that in our country, particular importance is attached to rational water use due to the widespread introduction of scientific achievements, modern, water-saving technologies, which, in turn, is closely related to the preservation of environmental well-being. Effective measures are being taken to improve the ameliorative condition of lands and provide the population with clean drinking water. The material and technical base of the water industry is being purposefully strengthened, new reservoirs and other hydraulic structures are being put into operation in all regions.

The participants of the current conference, as well as employees of the profile sector, adopted a thank-you Address to the President of Turkmenistan, in which they assured that they would apply all their knowledge and experience to effectively solve problems in the field of protecting the environment of their native Motherland.

A clear illustration of the achievements of our country in the field of environmental protection was the exhibition that took place in the foyer of the Agricultural Complex. A place of honor here was occupied by the books of Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the initiator of all grandiose socio-economic programs and environmental projects aimed at the prosperity of Turkmenistan.

Festive events on the occasion of World Environment Day were held in all velayats of the country.