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Climate change is exacerbating water stress in the arid Central Asian region, including Turkmenistan, and requires effective water management. Adaptation to climate change is the focus of a two-year project, “Improving the adaptive capacity of local communities to water scarcity and land degradation in two climate-prone regions of Turkmenistan,” implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan with funding from the IOM Development Fund. The project aims to contribute to Turkmenistan’s efforts to adapt to climate change by engaging key national stakeholders at the local level in Ahal and Dashoguz velayats, including local administrations, self-governments, migrant families left behind, and female-headed households, to advance gender-responsive climate change adaptation solutions. As part of this project, a series of two-day workshops were organized in late April and mid-May, where more than forty representatives of local administrations, communities and self-governments from Gorogly district of Dashoguz province and Konegummez village of Ahal province discussed sustainable methods of water conservation and use, as well as the importance of community participation in climate change adaptation through efficient water use.

According to the IOM press release, during the workshops, participants received updated information on Turkmenistan’s land and water legislation, especially in the context of climate change, and studied in detail a range of adaptation measures that helped them better understand current challenges and available solutions for climate-resilient development at the local level. Practical sessions included group work to develop local approaches to efficient water use and promote joint efforts among stakeholders to promote sustainable management of pastures and irrigated lands. Participants reviewed traditional and modern water conservation methods, as well as best practices in water collection, conservation and use in pastures and irrigated lands. The sessions provided participants with practical experience, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and skills needed for effective water management.

Participants reported that the workshops helped them to equip themselves with knowledge and tools to implement sustainable water conservation and use practices in support of ongoing national-level climate change adaptation work in Turkmenistan.

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Photo: МОМ в Туркменистане