Turkmenistan
Climate financing from international sources in Turkmenistan is the lowest in the region and comes in the form of grants or technical assistance. The Global Environment Facility and the Adaptation Fund are the main international funding sources and over the past decade, Turkmenistan has implemented climate projects valued at $200 million, including $20 million from these funds and the rest as governmental co-financing. While the country continues to rely on GEF for climate reporting, policy development and demonstration projects, it allocates substantial public funding to cleaner energy, greener cities, water and afforestation. On the initiative of the Turkmen president, World Bicycle Day (June 3) was instituted by the UN General Assembly, and Turkmenistan holds the Guinness World Record (2019) for the longest lasting cycling parade in one line. At the same time, as the largest producer of natural gas in Central Asia, Turkmenistan has high emissions of methane. Use of natural gas by industries and the general public reduces the climate footprint and the harmful emissions compared to burning coal, but per capita emissions in Turkmenistan are higher than the world average. Turkmenistan has a national strategy on climate change with an emphasis on adaptation that serves as the basis for climate actions, and is revising its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement. The Forest Code and the National Forest Programme establish policy frameworks in the forestry sector. A draft national waste strategy is under discussion, while the Caspian Sea action
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plan (for the Turkmenistan section of the shared sea) considers potential risks from sea level fluctuations, emission reductions and climate-sensitive biodiversity, such as Caspian seals and other migratory species. Foreign investors are welcome in the oil and gas industry, but the rest of the energy sector remains state-controlled. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection is in charge of the country’s GEF project portfolio through its international partners, primarily UNDP. Via UNDP Turkmenistan has implemented a successful project with the Adaptation Fund and is planning to scale up efforts. In 2020, Turkmenistan started its initial cooperation with GCF through a readiness programme where UNDP and the Turkmen branch of the Regional Environmental Centre of Central Asia are involved. The European Union, United States and Germany have provided bilateral support. In addition, Turkmenistan participates in regional climate projects such as CAMP4ASB, Smart Waters and others that provide technical and other assistance in climate and water services improvement.
