Turkmenistan is improving its biodiversity monitoring system

Every year on June 5, all states of the planet, including Turkmenistan, celebrate World Environment Day. The purpose of the Day is to awaken in each individual the desire to contribute and actively participate in the protection of the natural environment.

Turkmenistan plays an important role in the implementation of biodiversity conservation and preservation of ecosystem functions of deserts. The project "Central Asian Desert Initiative" (CADI) assumes preservation of desert landscape through improvement of infrastructure and management of specially protected natural areas (SPNAs), professional development of specialized specialists, investment in nature protection.

In the format of this project, the conference room of the Yildiz Hotel became the venue for a video meeting. The participants of the online event were international experts, specialists of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, as well as structures of the Ministry, including state nature reserves. During the forum, plans for the management of nature reserves and territories of the nomination dossier "Turanian deserts of the temperate belt" were discussed.

The Kopetdag Reserve became a base for conducting training sessions on monitoring biodiversity in protected areas, organized by the Ministry and the M. Zukkov Nature Conservation Foundation (Germany).

CADI implies a high level of professional training of the staff involved in the implementation of the project in protected areas, understanding of the research and monitoring methods adapted to the characteristics of a particular protected area.

The trainings were conducted by CADI experts on higher plants, amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals. The experts suggested methods and locations for conducting biodiversity surveys of the Turkmenistan cluster.

Having completed the theoretical and practical part, experts and specialists from Turkmenistan continued already field work in the pilot reserves - Bereketli Garagum, Repetek and Gaplangyr. Routes were formed, dates and frequency of monitoring were indicated, which will form the basis for future plans of development of biodiversity research of Turkmenistan.

Source and photo: turkmenistan.gov.tm