#DroughtRiskManagement #UNCCD #CAREC #DroughtandSDS #Central Asia
On 18 September, CAREC Project Office staff in Turkmenistan held a working meeting with the UNCCD National Coordinator for Turkmenistan. During the meeting the parties discussed current results and further steps in the implementation of the project funded by the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) entitled "Regional approaches to combating sand and dust storms and drought".
The meeting was attended by the UNCCD National Coordinator in Turkmenistan, Muhammed Durikov, and CAREC Project Office Coordinator in Turkmenistan, Iranа Bagirova.
Opening the meeting, Mr Durikov spoke about the work being done in the field of ecology, climate science, agriculture and drought issues in Turkmenistan. He noted the important role of the project "Regional approaches to combating sand and dust storms and drought" in studying and mitigating the risk of droughts and SDS in Turkmenistan.
Ms. Bagirova spoke about the progress of the project for the initial six months of the project - from January to June this year - in all five Central Asian countries and separately highlighted the tasks and achievements of the national expert group in Turkmenistan.
The parties positively noted the project implementation process and agreed to continue bilateral cooperation and work within the framework of the Project and other important environmental programmes and initiatives at both national and regional levels.
Info:
In January 2020, a pilot project “Regional Approaches for Combating Sand and Dust Storms and Drought” has been launched in all five Central Asian countries. The project is supported by the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and implemented by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), which works in close cooperation with the Appointed National Institutions and UNCCD National Focal Points in each of the five CA countries.
Countries in Central Asia are highly vulnerable to drought and sand and dust storms (SDS), particularly outside of high-elevation areas where the climate is mostly semi-arid to arid.
In order to assist the participating countries to effectively enhance preparedness and resilience against drought and SDS, the UNCCD Secretariat in collaboration with various partners has developed drought and SDS policy advocacy frameworks. The secretariat has supported the countries in developing national drought plans, methodology frameworks, and tools needed to effectively deal with drought and SDS. Amongst other things, the secretariat has helped develop a set of measures to combat droughts and compiled the SDS Compendium and developed SDS source base-map.
You can find out more about the project by following the links below.
- http://carececo.org/main/activity/projects/droughtSDS/