Employees of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as specialists from agricultural and environmental departments of velayat administrations, made a study tour to Türkiye, as reported by “Turkmenistan: Golden Age”.

The visit was supported by the FAO/GEF project “Integrated Natural Resources Management in Drought- and Salinity-Prone Agricultural Landscapes in Central Asian Countries and Türkiye” (CACILM-2) and the GEF/UNDP “Aral” project.

The tour started at the FAO Subregional Office for Central Asia, where the delegation was welcomed by the management of the Office and the regional FAO/GEF project “CACILM-2”.

Then a meeting was held at the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of Türkiye, where the focus was on combating desertification, implementing sustainable land use practices and water resources management.

The parties expressed mutual interest in further cooperation aimed at solving common environmental problems and ensuring sustainable development of the region.

The Turkmen delegation also visited sites where initiatives to combat desertification and restore degraded lands are being implemented.

Over the course of seven days, the delegation visited a number of greenhouses and nurseries where plants are grown for afforestation of desert areas, for the protection of sand dunes, and for replenishment of city and national parks.

The tour program included a visit to the production complex of the Torku brand, a visit to the forest area around the Altınapa reservoir, which is an excellent example of sustainable management of natural resources.

The desertification control practice took place at the Agyatan sand stabilization site.

The participants were particularly interested in the Hacıalan site, an open-air training center for technical personnel of the Turkish forestry sector, the source notes.