On June 20, 2024, a workshop on biodiversity conservation and effective management of protected areas (PAs) in the region was held in a hybrid format in Dashoguz. The workshop was organized within the framework of the project "Conservation and sustainable management of land resources and high nature value ecosystems in the Aral Sea basin for multiple benefits" funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by UNDP in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan.

During the workshop, the participants discussed issues related to the expansion of cooperation between staff of the Kaplankyr Nature Reserve and local governments to combine efforts to preserve biodiversity in the region. The workshop also served as a platform for analyzing the level of awareness of the local community and authorities about environmental legislation, identifying common challenges, and discussing proposals for improving joint activities.

The workshop was attended by representatives of the hyakimliks of the Dashoguz velayat, the Turkmenbashy (Gengeshlik "Ashyr Kakabayev") and the Ruhubelent etraps (Gengeshlik "Ashik Aydyn"), the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, local NGOs, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and its subordinate organizations. Representatives of the "Conservation X Labs" project, funded by the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, USA, and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, actively participated, who introduced the participants to the project's biodiversity conservation activities. Representatives of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO also took part, informing the participants about the criteria for including protected area sites in the World Heritage List using the example of the Kaplankyr State Nature Reserve, as well as about changes in its functioning and reporting regime following the receiving this status in September 2023.

"The establishment of mechanisms for effective management of protected areas in close cooperation with local authorities at the level of environmental legislation will contribute to the development a favorable climate for the conservation of biodiversity in the region and adaptation to the negative consequences of climate change", - said Mr. Arazmyrat Amanov, Head of the scientific department of the Kaplankyr State Nature Reserve. During the workshop, participants also discussed issues of improving the skills of inspectors and rangers of protected areas in the field of environmental monitoring as part of efforts to implement effective management of protected areas, training local communities in ecotourism to improve zoning and clearly define the boundaries of the buffer zone.

The $4.6 million project “Conservation and Sustainable Management of Land Resources and Natural Ecosystems in the Aral Sea Basin”, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), aims to promote a land degradation neutrality and initial investments in participatory, integrated land use planning to restore and improve the use of land and water resources, taking into account key biodiversity habitats to secure critical ecosystem services. In addition, the project will address the drivers of biodiversity degradation, to strengthen the protection of globally important biodiversity, habitats, and species, through the expansion of the protected area system and strengthening of their management effectiveness.

As result, the project will increase the resilience of the local population and preserve globally significant ecosystems in the zone of influence of the Aral Sea crisis in the Lebap and Dashoguz pilot velayats. In addition, the project will support international knowledge exchange and provide support for more active and informed participation of Turkmenistan in the implementation of regional cooperation to improve the management and restoration of land and water resources in the Aral Sea basin.