Turkmenistan, WWF Sign MoU to Strengthen Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Ashgabat, The Gulf Observer: Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening long-term cooperation in environmental protection and biodiversity conservation.
The signing ceremony was held via videoconference on August 31, with the document signed by Turkmenistan’s Minister of Environmental Protection Ovezgeldi Goshjanov and WWF Regional Director for Eastern, Central Asia and the Pacific Jean-Paul Paddack.
The MoU focuses on further cooperation in biodiversity conservation, protection of natural ecosystems and endangered species, as well as enhancing resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Under the agreement, the parties plan to develop a Joint Projects and Activities Plan for 2026–2030. Priority areas will include wildlife protection, improvement of specially protected natural areas, biodiversity monitoring, and the conservation and restoration of populations of several endangered and vulnerable species.
These include the Persian leopard, kulan, Bukhara deer, goitered gazelle and Amu Darya shovelnose sturgeon, alongside efforts to protect rare bird and plant species.
The cooperation will also focus on developing ecological corridors and buffer zones, conserving and restoring natural landscapes and ecosystems, and promoting environmental education. The parties are also expected to expand the exchange of scientific knowledge, expertise and best practices in nature conservation.
Particular emphasis will be placed on strengthening transboundary environmental cooperation with other Central Asian countries, reflecting the importance of coordinated regional efforts to address shared ecological challenges.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation through the exchange of national experience, the application of international expertise and the mobilization of resources required to implement joint environmental initiatives.
The signing of the MoU marks an important step in strengthening Turkmenistan’s international cooperation on environmental protection and biodiversity conservation and contributes to broader environmental diplomacy in the Central Asian region.
