UNDP runs the Students Competition to mark the World Cities Day

The submitted research works demonstrated creative and innovative approaches to the production of goods from recycled materials (plastic, glass, paper, wood, etc.) with ideas on its application in everyday life.

Upon completion of the evaluation the jury consisting of the representatives of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan and the UNDP in Turkmenistan announced the winners of the competition.

The 1st place was awarded to a fourth-year student studying ecology and environmental management at the Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan, Ms. Ogulshirin Tacheva for the development of a waste-free production of products using recycled plastic waste. The 2nd place was awarded to Ms. Merdzhen Esenova, a third-year student of the Turkmen State University named after Magtymguly for her research work on the topic: "Production of bricks from plastic". Mr. Dzhemshit Begkhanov, a third-year student studying environmental engineering at the Turkmen Engineering and Technology University, was awarded the 3rd place for his research work "Technology for obtaining table salt from halite waste of the Garlyk mining and processing plant."

The jury awarded a special prize to Mr. Atajan Shamuradov, a student of the Turkmen State University named after Magtymguly for the development of a "Smart Container". It is proposed to apply this proposal at the pilot site of the UNDP project, which is planned to be implemented in the end of the year on the territory of the university dormitory and to test this gadget on recycling bins and waste containers.

The jury also especially noted two more works that shared the 4th place in the competition:

- The research work of a student at the Turkmen Agricultural University named after S. A. Niyazov, Mr. Yaran Khudayberdiev, who proposed a very simple and low-cost method of recycling water that is not contaminated with chemicals by installing a simple switch lever that will allow redirecting conditionally clean effluents to an additional reservoir, while transferring polluted water into the public sewer.

- The research work of Mr. Sover Serdarov, a third-year student of the Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan on the production of edible bioplastic from organic waste.

In addition, the jury noted the work of Ms. Gulshat Hydyrova, a student of the Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan, on the methods of production of organic fertilizer from waste and processing of licorice root. Due to the growing production and interest in the use of licorice root for medicinal purposes, the amount of waste production is increasing. In this regard, the participant of the competition proposed an effective method for producing a bio-humus, a liquid organic fertilizer.

All participants of the competition were awarded certificates and all winners received memorable prizes from the UNDP.

“The Student Research Competition aimed at involving youth in the initiatives that promote the sustainable use of natural resources, rational consumption and waste minimization, as well as to prepare future ecologists to start thinking in a creative and innovative way while dealing with the issues of rational waste management,” – noted Ms. Narine Sahakyan, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan.

The Student Research Competition was organized by the UNDP/GEF project "Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Green Urban Development in Ashgabat and Avaza”, which is focused on reducing the negative impacts of urban growth in the country, such as air pollution, increase in energy consumption and household waste, while also supporting the achievement of social and economic development goals.  The project provides technical assistance, institutional and policy support, and promotes behavioral change in relation to rational consumption and waste management covering Ashgabat and the National Touristic Zone “Avaza”, while also creating a basis for replication of results in other cities of the country.