The Director of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) Project Office in Turkmenistan, Mergen Kepbanov, took part in the Regional Practical Training on “Capacity Building for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Development and Policy Assessment in the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry Sector,” held from 6 to 10 October 2025 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The purpose of the training was to train specialists from the Central Asian countries on methodologies for developing and improving national greenhouse gas inventories, preparing reports, and assessing the impact of policies in the land use, land-use change, and forestry sector on emissions.
The event brought together representatives from all Central Asian countries, including government agencies, research institutions, and international organizations.
The Turkmen delegation was represented by specialists from relevant departments and organizations: Atamurad Muradov, Deputy Director of the Environmental Control Service, Bayram Rahmedov, Lead Chemical Engineer of the Environmental Protection Department of Lebap Region of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, Govshut Shadurdyyev, Deputy Director of the Land Resources Service of the Ministry of Agriculture of Turkmenistan, Amangul Ovezberdiyeva, Coordinator of the GIZ Regional Project “Climate Risk Management in Central Asia”, Leyla Khadzhimuradova, Head of the Ecology and Biodiversity Department at the Scientific-Information Center of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (SIC IC IFAS), and Gaigysyz Gurbanseidov, National Logistics Specialist.
During the five-day training, participants consistently mastered key methodologies: they worked with real data, studied advanced approaches to land use monitoring, land classification, and change detection, as well as learned methodologies for assessing emissions and removals for forest and agricultural lands.
Special attention was paid to reporting under the Enhanced Transparency Framework and to tools for assessing emission reductions resulting from the implementation of policies, plans, and individual projects.
Thanks to this structured approach, participants not only gained new theoretical knowledge but also applied it in practice, discussed the results with regional colleagues, and developed recommendations for further work.
“The training made it possible not only to deepen our knowledge of data methodologies and tools but also to exchange experiences with regional colleagues, discuss best practices, and outline areas for future cooperation,” emphasized Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan.
As Mergen Kepbanov noted, participation in such an event is of strategic importance for Turkmenistan, as the country is actively working to fulfill its international climate commitments and improve its national greenhouse gas inventory system.
The specialists had the opportunity to learn advanced methods for estimating emissions, improve the quality of reporting, and assess the effectiveness of national policies in the land use, land-use change, and forestry sector.
“The knowledge and experience gained will be applied in the future work of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan and relevant institutions, which will help introduce new methodologies into national practice, strengthen regional cooperation, and facilitate the exchange of practical solutions among Central Asian countries,” summarized Mergen Kepbanov.
Additional information:
Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan
turkmenistan@carececo.org