Ashgabat, 28 November 2019: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Turkmenistan and the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The signing ceremony was held during the final high-level conference of the CAREC project “Nexus Dialogue in Central Asia” held in Ashgabat.

“This Memorandum is called to unite the efforts of our organizations that carry out significant work in Turkmenistan in the field of environmental protection. UNDP and CAREC contribute to sustainable development by promoting the rational use of natural resources by strengthening national policies and laws and providing expertise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said the acting UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan, Natia Natsvlishvili.

In Turkmenistan, UNDP implements projects aimed at improving resilience to risks associated with climate change, promotes implementation of sustainable practices in the field of energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy sources, sustainable land use and water resources management, urban development, waste management, sustainable transport, and raises public awareness about environment, as well as other environmental and sustainability issues.

The Memorandum is signed for three years with possibility for extension. The Parties intend to cooperate in the following areas of activity:

i)                   Develop and promote implementation of policies, strategies and legal framework related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental protection and sustainable development;

ii)                 Pilot and scale up specific initiatives and technologies aimed at improving climate change adaptation/mitigation and biodiversity conservation;

iii)               Enhance participation of the business sector in climate change adaptation using the business-to-business (B2B) approach;

iv)               Improve water and land management practices in agriculture;

v)                  Promote Integrated water resources management (IWRM) and Basin planning principles in the national policies;

vi)               Enhance capacity building on efficient natural resource management and renewable energy;

vii)             Develop and promote implementation of the policies, strategies and legal framework related to waste management;

viii)           Promote of Education for Sustainable Development key themes (climate change, ecosystems, water, energy and others) and approaches into education legislation, standards and curricula.