Ashgabat proposes regional centre to combat desertification for Central Asia

Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed the creation of a Regional Centre to Combat Desertification for the countries of Central Asia in a speech at the Leaders' Summit of the UN Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan, on 16 October.

The head of state stressed the particular importance of the issue and the need to increase the resilience of arid regions to the consequences of climate change. Berdimuhamedov said the initiative is a key component of international efforts to preserve ecosystems, promote rational use of natural resources and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He also noted that the success of global environmental goals is impossible without taking into account the interests and specific needs of developing countries, including landlocked states.