On 8 April 2024, Mergen Kepbanov assumed office as the Director of the Project Office of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CARECR) in Turkmenistan.
Mergen Kepbanov has over 15 years of experience in state regulation in the field of environmental protection and nature management.
During his work in the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, Mergen Kepbanov participated in the implementation of various national projects and programs, in the development of environmental documents and legislation of Turkmenistan. Among them are the First Environmental Performance Review in Turkmenistan with the support of UNECE, the Strengthening Industrial Safety in Central Asia (UNECE) project, recommendations on strategic environmental assessment (SEA), waste management in Turkmenistan, the National Strategy of Turkmenistan on Climate Change, etc.
The newly appointed Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan is well-versed in current issues related to the climate agenda, agrobiodiversity, environmental legislation, strategic environmental assessment, and renewable energy sources.
Throughout his career in government agencies, he was involved in solving environmental problems at the national and international levels in senior positions:
- Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, Head of the international projects’ coordination department.
- Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan, Head of Reserves coordination department.
- Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan, Head of international projects coordination department.
- Focal point of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan for the UNECE conventions on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (the Espoo Convention) and on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents.
Mergen Kepbanov graduated from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) with a Diploma of specialist in international law (2002) and a Diploma of State and Municipal Administration (2007).
He speaks Turkmen, Russian, English .