Turkmenistan to complete Aral Sea and forest programs in 2025

In 2025, Turkmenistan will complete the implementation of two major environmental initiatives - the National Program on the Aral Sea for 2021-2025 and the National Forest Program for the same period. Arzuw.news reports with reference to the publication Turkmenistan: Golden Age.

The Aral Program covers 86 projects in the economic, social, environmental and water spheres aimed at minimizing the consequences of the Aral crisis. The main efforts are aimed at improving health care, modernizing the drinking water supply system, creating new jobs, developing agricultural production and introducing water-saving technologies.

The priority regions for the implementation of the programs are Dashoguz velayat, which is most exposed to dust-salt Aral winds, as well as part of Lebap velayat.

Hero-Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov first raised the Aral Sea issue at the international level during the UN Rio+20 Conference in 2012. At the initiative of Turkmenistan, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on cooperation between the UN and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, which was confirmed at the summit of the heads of the IFAS founding states on August 24, 2018 in the National Tourist Zone "Avaza".

By the end of the program period, the area of land covered by restoration activities will reach 3.5 million hectares in five years. According to the Voluntary National Review 2023 presented at the UN Headquarters in New York, Turkmenistan meets the Sustainable Development Goal #15 by 80% and maintains 85% integration of the 2030 Agenda targets into national programs.