Turkmenistan Environment - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 48

Two Key Environmental Initiatives Completed in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan has marked the successful completion of two major agro-environmental initiatives aimed at enhancing natural resource management and climate change adaptation. These efforts represent significant progress in addressing environmental challenges both nationally and across the broader Central Asian region. Regional Project on Natural Resource Management The first project concluded was the second phase of the regional program titled “Integrated Natural Resource Management in Drought-Prone and Salinized Agricultural Production Landscapes of Central Asia and Turkey,” which commenced in 2018. This initiative focused on pilot sites in the Karakum Desert, the mountain village of Nokhur, and the Turkmen sector of the Aral Sea region. Key achievements include the establishment of mini GIS laboratories at the Scientific and Information Center under the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development, the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna, and within the environmental control departments of the Ministry of Agriculture. These facilities are now equipped with modern tools to support research and monitoring efforts. The project also delivered resource-efficient agricultural equipment, drought-resistant seeds and seedlings, water pumps for various intakes, and rapid soil analysis equipment to agricultural universities. Twenty wells and sardobs (traditional water reservoirs) were constructed for livestock centers and nurseries utilizing drip irrigation systems. Additionally, the project cleaned parts of the collector drainage system and developed reclamation plans to rehabilitate degraded land. Another notable contribution was the continued publication of the international scientific journal “Problems of Desert Development,” which has been issued in Ashgabat since 1967. National Climate Change Adaptation Plan The second completed initiative, “Development of the National Adaptation Planning Process in Turkmenistan”, was carried out by the Ministry of Environmental Protection in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Green Climate Fund. Launched in 2021, the project sought to implement the National Climate Change Strategy by defining specific adaptation measures and implementation mechanisms. The initiative resulted in the development of a comprehensive Roadmap for implementing the National Adaptation Plan, the creation of a national climate finance concept, and new guidelines for integrating climate adaptation into water resource management. These tools aim to bolster Turkmenistan’s resilience to the adverse effects of climate change. Central Asian Climate Conference in Ashgabat From May 13 to 15, Ashgabat will host the Seventh Central Asian Conference on Climate Change (CACCC-2025), organized by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) with support from the World Bank, CAWEP, RESILAND Tajikistan, and GIZ. CACCC-2025 will serve as a key regional platform to transform climate ambitions into actionable strategies. The agenda includes mobilizing financial resources for adaptation and mitigation, enhancing regional cooperation, and sharing best practices. Participants will engage in plenary sessions, thematic panels, and field visits to sites that exemplify successful adaptation measures. One of the conference’s strategic goals is to develop a plan for increasing regional climate finance by 25% over the next five years. Delegates are also expected to present updated national contributions (NDCs 3.0) under the Paris Agreement and promote cross-border cooperation for sustainable development. With the region facing accelerating climate threats, such as...

Home Environment Uzbekistan Environment Kazakhstan Environment Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Environment Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Features Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Features Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Features Features Tajikistan Environment Turkmenistan Environment Kyrgyzstan Features Kazakhstan Featurees

Central Asia’s Green Energy Dream: Too Big to Achieve?

Although most Central Asian nations are heavily dependent on fossil fuel production and exports, they are aiming to significantly increase the use of renewable energy, hoping to eventually become crucial suppliers of so-called green electricity to Europe. Achieving such an ambitious goal will be easier said than done, given that developing the green energy sector in the region requires massive investment. What Central Asian states – struggling to attract long-term private capital into clean energy projects – need is financing for projects that modernize power networks, improve grid stability, and enable cross-border electricity flows. These upgrades are essential for large-scale renewable energy deployment and regional trade in power. Most actors in Central Asia seem to have taken major steps in this direction. In November 2024, at the COP29 climate conference held in Baku, Kazakhstan signed several deals worth nearly $3.7 billion with international companies and development institutions to support green energy projects. Neighboring Uzbekistan, according to reports, has attracted more than €22 billion ($23.9) in foreign investment in renewable energy, while Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan – which is aiming to generate all its electricity from green energy sources by 2032 – have developed strategies to help increase their renewable potential. But to turn their goals into reality, all these nations will need funding – whether from oil-rich Middle Eastern countries, China, the European Union, or various international financial institutions. Presently, the development of the Caspian Green Energy Corridor – which aims to supply green electricity from Central Asia to Azerbaijan and further to Europe – remains the region’s most ambitious project. According to Yevgeniy Zhukov, the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Director General for Central and West Asia, this initiative is a strategic priority for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan. “While the prospect of exporting green electricity to Europe is part of the long-term vision, the core goal of the initiative is to accelerate green growth within the region,” Zhukov told The Times of Central Asia. Together with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the ADB is funding a feasibility study for this proposed transmission corridor. The study will assess the technical and economic viability of such a system, along with the environmental and regulatory requirements. In the meantime, the ABD is expected to continue funding other green energy projects in the region. The financial entity, according to Zhukov, invested $250 million in Uzbekistan in 2023 to support renewable energy development and comprehensive power sector reforms, while in other Central Asian countries, it remains “firmly committed to driving the green energy transition.” “For instance, in Tajikistan we are exploring the potential to co-finance the Rogun Hydropower Project alongside the World Bank and other international partners. In Kyrgyzstan, our focus has been on supporting foundational reforms in the energy sector, including strengthening the policy and regulatory environment to attract private investment in renewables. In Turkmenistan, we’ve launched a total of $1.75 million technical assistance initiative to help lay the groundwork for future renewable energy development,” Zhukov stressed, pointing out that these efforts are part...

Home Opinion Head Uzbekistan Environment Environment Kazakhstan Environment Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Environment Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Opinions Tajikistan Uzbekistan Features Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Opinions Kazakhstan Tajikistan Features Turkmenistan Opinions Opinions Turkmenistan Features Features Kazakhstan Opinions Kyrgyzstan Opinions Tajikistan Environment Turkmenistan Environment Kazakhstan Featurees Kyrgyzstan Features

Opinion – Central Asia’s Looming Water Crisis: A Ticking Time Bomb

When people think of Central Asia, they often picture vast deserts, ancient Silk Road cities, and oil pipelines stretching to distant markets. Yet the region’s most urgent and combustible resource is not buried underground — it flows above it. Water, or more precisely the lack of it, is rapidly becoming the defining fault line of Central Asia’s future. For decades, the five Central Asian republics have tiptoed around a growing water crisis. The two major rivers that sustain life in this arid region, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, are now so contested and depleted that what was once a technical issue has metastasized into a geopolitical threat. The region's major rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya are under immense pressure, threatening agriculture, livelihoods, and regional stability. At the heart of the crisis is a tragic irony. The upstream countries, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, are rich in water but poor in energy and cash. They need to release water in winter to generate hydropower. Downstream nations, particularly Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, want water stored until the summer to irrigate vast cotton and wheat fields. The result? Mutual distrust, occasional diplomatic spats, and an accelerating race to dam, divert, and hoard water in a region already gasping under the weight of climate change. A Region Parched Central Asia annually utilizes over 60 billion cubic meters of water for irrigation from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins. However, recent years have seen a decline in river flows, with the actual flow of the Syr Darya being 20–23% less than the norm. Further, the ghost of the Aral Sea — a once-thriving inland lake that has now shrunk by over 90% in its volume and 74 % in surface area — serves as a haunting reminder of the cost of mismanagement. The Soviet legacy of excessive irrigation has morphed into a post-Soviet scramble for control, where water is not just a tool of survival but a lever of power. This desiccation has transformed the region, leading to the emergence of the Aralkum Desert and causing severe ecological and health issues. Climate Change Intensifies the Crisis Climate change is exacerbating water scarcity in Central Asia. A recent study revealed that an extreme heatwave in March 2025, with temperatures soaring 5 to 10°C above pre-industrial levels, was significantly amplified by global warming. Such temperature surges accelerate glacier melt and increase evaporation rates, further reducing water availability. By some estimates, Central Asia could lose over 30% of its freshwater resources by 2050. Yet, rather than galvanize cooperation, this existential threat has sparked more competition. International efforts have largely fallen flat. The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), the region’s main water cooperation body, is riddled with inefficiencies and lacks enforcement power. External actors like China and Russia have their own interests, often deepening the regional divide rather than healing it. Inefficient Water Management Inefficient agricultural practices remain one of the most profound and persistent contributors to water mismanagement across Central Asia. In...

Central Asia Uzbekistan Environment Environment Home Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Features Tajikistan Uzbekistan Home Tajikistan Features Turkmenistan Features Features Tajikistan Environment Turkmenistan Environment

World Bank to Investigate Regional Risks of Rogun Dam Project

The World Bank’s Inspection Panel has agreed to review a formal complaint filed by residents of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan concerning the environmental and social risks associated with the Rogun Hydropower Project (HPP) in Tajikistan. The complaint, submitted by the regional environmental coalition Rivers Without Boundaries, targets a $350 million World Bank loan and related technical assistance used to revise the project’s 2014 environmental and social impact assessments. The complainants argue that the current studies are outdated and inadequate, relying on assumptions that are more than a decade old. They contend the assessments fail to account for the downstream effects of storing and diverting water from the Vakhsh River, one of the primary tributaries of the Amu Darya basin, on communities and ecosystems in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Preliminary estimates from the World Bank suggest that filling the Rogun reservoir could decrease the flow into the Aral Sea by 0.8 to 1.2 cubic kilometers annually, potentially cutting today’s levels by as much as 25%. Such a reduction, critics warn, could exacerbate ongoing issues in the region, including desertification, soil salinity, and land degradation. These challenges have plagued villages in the lower Amu Darya since Soviet-era irrigation schemes dramatically reduced the sea’s volume, leading to persistent dust storms and declining water quality. Local farmers are particularly concerned about the dam’s effect on the timing of water availability. If the dam shifts the river’s flow from spring and summer into winter storage, it could disrupt traditional irrigation cycles, forcing expensive infrastructure adjustments. Some communities fear economic collapse and forced migration if water needs go unmet during critical planting seasons. Environmental experts also highlight the cumulative threat posed by the Rogun HPP in conjunction with Afghanistan’s planned Qosh Tepa canal. No comprehensive analysis has been conducted to evaluate the combined impact of these two major water diversion projects on regional hydrology and biodiversity. The World Bank itself estimates that climate change could reduce water availability in the region by 15-30% by 2050, potentially costing Uzbekistan up to 250,000 agricultural jobs and requiring billions in climate adaptation investments. In response, Rivers Without Boundaries has called on the World Bank and its co-financiers, who have collectively pledged over $1 billion, to suspend further funding until a transparent, independent risk assessment is completed. The coalition advocates for a thorough study of alternative project designs, such as a lower dam height, to mitigate environmental and social damage. They also demand genuine public consultation with all Amu Darya basin countries, equitable compensation mechanisms, and legally binding water management agreements. Failure to address these concerns, the group warns, risks triggering an irreversible ecological and humanitarian crisis across Central Asia.

Home Environment Uzbekistan Environment Kazakhstan Environment Kyrgyzstan Environment Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Features Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Features Kazakhstan Features Tajikistan Environment Turkmenistan Environment Kyrgyzstan Features Kazakhstan Featurees

Seismic Cities: Is Central Asia Prepared for a Major Earthquake?

The recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, which claimed over 3,500 lives and caused structural failures more than 1,000 kilometers away in Bangkok, has once again highlighted the precariousness of life in seismically active regions. “Earthquakes happen on geological faults, which are often sited at the edges of mountain ranges.” Richard Walker, Professor of Tectonics at the University of Oxford told The Times of Central Asia. “Sadly, the edges of mountain ranges are often the best places to live, due to the presence of water and of land for farming.” All Central Asian capitals, except for Kazakhstan’s relocated capital Astana, are located on such terrain. This has historically made them vulnerable. The 1948 earthquake in Ashgabat destroyed almost the entire city; Tashkent suffered a similarly destructive event in 1966, and Almaty was wracked by twin blows in 1887 and 1911. Although no such catastrophic event has occurred in the last half century, the earth beneath the region continues to rumble restlessly. Two quakes in early 2024 left the residents of Almaty unnerved. Last week, on April 14, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in Tajikistan caused the death of a young boy and damage to around thirty homes near the Chinese border. Though moderate, these tremors serve to remind residents of the active tectonics of the region and raise questions about the structural readiness of buildings and infrastructure should a stronger event occur. Botched Building After the 2023 earthquake on the Turkey-Syria border, which killed over 53,000 people in Turkey alone, authorities launched investigations into over a hundred individuals linked to the construction of buildings that did not withstand the tremors. Such stories were familiar to people who grew up in the Soviet Union. In the 1988 Spitak earthquake in Armenia, tens of thousands died in Leninakan (now Gyumri). Many of the casualties were put down to the collapse of identikit 9-storey tower blocks built in the Brezhnev era. These were designed to withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake; in the event, the 6.8 magnitude quake that struck Leninakan caused 72 out of 78 of these buildings to collapse. In a bitter irony, many older, pre-Soviet structures remained intact. One team of international inspectors blamed “very low construction standards and suspect joint details” in Leninakan for the scale of the disaster. Similar precast tower blocks to those that collapsed in Armenia can be seen across the former USSR. According to the Uzbek media, the Cabinet of Ministers estimated in 2023 that approximately 70% of private housing in the country failed to meet current earthquake resistance standards. “The 2023 earthquake in Turkey was a tragic reminder of the importance of strict compliance with building codes and continuous quality control of construction in seismic regions,” Daulet Sarsenbayev, director of the Kazakhstan’s National Scientific Center for Seismological Observations and Research, told TCA. “Such events provide valuable lessons for all countries, including Kazakhstan, in terms of the need to strengthen the regulatory framework, increase transparency in the construction industry, and invest in resilient infrastructure.” In response to the...

Home Uzbekistan Environment Environment Kazakhstan Environment Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Environment

New Report Urges Local Irrigation Equipment Production to Tackle Water Scarcity in Central Asia

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have jointly released a report titled Irrigation Equipment Production in Central Asia: Industrialising the Water Sector, highlighting the urgent need to localize irrigation equipment manufacturing in the region. The publication argues that establishing a domestic irrigation equipment manufacturing sector could serve as a strategic response to mounting water challenges in Central Asia. It calls for coordinated action by regional governments, international organizations, and private sector actors to implement investment and policy frameworks aimed at reducing reliance on imports and fostering a self-sufficient production ecosystem. Heavy Dependence on Imports The report identifies irrigation equipment as a key strategic area for bolstering food security and managing water resources more efficiently. Currently, the regional market for such equipment is valued between $130 million and $200 million, with over 90% of this demand met through imports. Despite this dependency, governments across Central Asia are taking proactive steps to modernize agriculture. Substantial financial and non-financial support is being extended to farmers, and plans are underway to expand irrigated farmland and adopt advanced irrigation technologies. According to the study, the irrigated area in Central Asia is projected to grow to 10.6 million hectares by 2040. This expansion is expected to drive demand for up to two million units of irrigation equipment, with the potential to generate $426 million annually in local production. The report further estimates the annual market for new sprinklers at $114 million and for drip irrigation systems at $220 million. Cluster-Based Development To address these needs, the publication proposes a cluster-based approach to developing local irrigation equipment production hubs. Nikolai Podguzov, Chairman of the EDB Management Board, emphasized the economic potential of localization: “The region’s demand for irrigation equipment could more than double by 2030. Localizing production will not only help retain investments within the local economy but also stimulate the development of precision irrigation technologies, digital water management tools, engineering labs, and knowledge-sharing centers focused on best practices in irrigation and water use.”