Local communities from Dashoguz and Akhal velayats discuss efficient water management practices as adaptation to climate change
20 May 2025
Ashgabat, 20 May 2025 – Over forty representatives from local administrations, communities and self-governance bodies, including families of migrants staying behind and women-led households from the Gorogly district of Dashoguz velayat and the Konegummez village of Akhal velayat discussed sustainable water conservation and use practices as well as importance of community engagement in adaptation to climate change through efficient use of water in a series of two-day seminars in late April and mid-May organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as part of the project “Improving Adaptive Capacity of Local Communities to Water Shortages and Land Degradation in Two Climatic Hazard Affected Regions of Turkmenistan.”
During the seminars, the participants were updated on Turkmenistan's land and water legislation, particularly in the context of climate change, and deep dived into a range of adaptation measures that helped them to better understand the current challenges and available solutions for climate-resilient development at the local level.
Practical sessions included group work on designing local approaches to efficient water use and fostering collaborative efforts among stakeholders to promote sustainable pasture and irrigated lands management. Participants also reviewed the best practices for collecting, conserving and using water on pasture and irrigated lands.
The seminars also featured demonstrations of traditional and modern techniques for water conservation. The sessions provided participants with hands-on experience, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and skills necessary for effective water management.
According to the feedback from the participants, the seminars helped to equip them with knowledge and tools for implementation of sustainable water conservation and use practices in support of the ongoing work at the national level to strengthen sustainable water conservation and climate change adaptation in Turkmenistan.
The two-year project “Improving Adaptive Capacity of Local Communities to Water Shortages and Land Degradation in Two Climatic Hazard Affected Regions of Turkmenistan” is implemented by IOM in partnership with the Ministry of Environment Protection of Turkmenistan with funding from the IOM Development Fund. The project aims to contribute to Turkmenistan's climate change adaptation efforts by engaging the key national stakeholders at the local level in Akhal and Dashoguz velayats, including local administrations, self-governance bodies, families of migrants staying behind and women-led households to promote gender-sensitive climate change adaptation solutions.
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