Turkmenistan and WWF Laid the Foundation for a Joint Environmental Strategy through 2030
The Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining key areas of joint work through 2030. The document was signed by Ovezgeldi Goshjanov, head of the country's environmental agency, and Jean-Paul Paddack, WWF Regional Director for East, Central Asia, and the Pacific, during a videoconference.
The signed agreement takes long-term projects on biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, and the development of environmental diplomacy in the region to a new level. The document's practical implementation will be expressed in a detailed five-year plan covering the expansion of specially protected natural areas and the creation of ecological corridors allowing wildlife to move freely between natural habitats.
The central focus of the cooperation will be monitoring and restoring populations of vulnerable and rare Eurasian fauna. Specialists will focus on the Persian leopard, the kulan, the Bukhara deer, the goitered gazelle, and the Amu Darya's unique relict inhabitant of the Amu Darya—the Amu Darya shovelnose sturgeon.
At the same time, the parties intend to develop cross-border conservation cooperation with Central Asian states. Joint initiatives will combine national experience and WWF expertise to protect unique landscapes, conduct scientific research, and attract international funding for environmental projects in the region.
