At the opening of the 7th Central Asian Conference on Climate Change (CACCC-2025) in Ashgabat, Minister of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan Charygeldi Babaniyazov delivered a keynote speech. He presented the country's position, which combines a strong national commitment to the climate agenda with a call for the unification of efforts of Central Asian states in the face of common environmental threats.

The Minister noted that under the leadership of the President of Turkmenistan, environmental protection and ecological well-being have become one of the priorities of state policy. Evidence of the country's serious approach to these issues are concrete steps at the national level, such as the adoption of the planned version of the National Climate Change Strategy in 2019, the approval of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement in 2022, as well as Turkmenistan's accession to the Global Methane Commitment in 2023.

Emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation, Charygeldi Babaniyazov focused on a number of specific threats facing Central Asian countries and measures to overcome them. He particularly highlighted:

• The Aral Sea problem: The Minister directly stated that it is impossible to restore the sea to its previous state and emphasized the need to mitigate and adapt to the effects of desertification and the spread of salt dust in vulnerable areas of the region. As an example of Turkmenistan's national efforts, he cited the large-scale afforestation of 20 thousand hectares of land on the Butendag plateau in the north of the country using endemic plants, as well as ongoing afforestation work in the Dashoguz and Lebap velayats (10 thousand hectares each).

• Efficient use of water resources: Given the reduction of water reserves due to climate change, the vital need for rational water use to prevent secondary soil salinization was emphasized. The Minister illustrated this idea with a Turkmen proverb, “Water is both a friend and an enemy of the land,” emphasizing the wisdom of the people in understanding the importance of taking care of water.

• Desertification and dust storms: Acceleration of desertification due to loss of vegetation cover and increased risk of dust storms, which negatively affect health and ecosystems, was noted. The need for comprehensive scientific measures to combat this phenomenon and prevent the loss of fertile soil was noted.

• Melting glaciers: Although Turkmenistan does not have glaciers, the Minister expressed a positive assessment of the initiatives to protect them in the mountains of Central Asia, since the rivers originating there (for example, the Amu Darya) are the main source of water resources for the country.

The Minister especially noted that all these problems - the consequences of the Aral Sea, water resources, desertification, melting glaciers - are common to the countries of the region due to the interconnectedness of natural components. Therefore, in his opinion, their solution requires efforts not only at the national, but also, first of all, at the regional level.

In conclusion of his speech, Charygeldi Babaniyazov expressed hope that the CACIC-2025 conference will make a significant contribution to the consolidation of efforts and exchange of experience in solving these urgent problems. He emphasized that if the states of the Central Asian region unite their views, initiatives, efforts and strengths, this conference will achieve its goal.

ORIENT