Climate Change-Related Priorities. Turkmenistan Almaty

International & Regional Level Warming takes place in Turkmenistan rapidly. Average annual country air temperature increases to °С within a decade. Turkmenistan is one of the countries that are most vulnerable to the unfavorable effects of climate change, mainly in the area of agriculture, water resources, population health and natural ecological systems; Turkmenistan ratified the UNFCCC in 1995 and in 1998 – Kyoto Protocol; For the purpose of ensuring favorable conditions for sustainable development in the Central Asian region, at the 66 th Session of UN General Assembly Turkmenistan proposed to establish Inter-regional Center for Climate Change-Related Problems Solution; Also it was proposed to establish the UNEP Central Asian Regional office in Ashkhabad.

National Level National Climate Change Strategy was adopted 15 June 2012, which was an important step for the further encouraging of activity in the area of climate change, as well as a necessary condition for Turkmenistan’s sustainable social and economical development; National Social and Economical Development Program until 2030; At the national level the Strategy proposes to establish National Clean Climate Fund; In the past each Ministry and Agency had own separate plans and programs on climate change that hindered from performing climate change activities in a coordinated manner;

Goals, Objectives and Principles of the Strategy To solve the climate change problems the Strategy sticks to the following principles: Solution of the climate change problems has to facilitate sustainable development of the country’s economics; Solution of the climate change problems is made on the base of the complex approach: measures on mitigation of GHG emissions will be coordinated with measures on adaptation; The UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol and Resolutions of the parties of the UNFCCC conferences and Kyoto Protocol constitute a legal basis for the international cooperation to combat climate change and reflect general understanding of the international community; Advancement of innovative technologies, transmission of technologies, scientific and technical progress are the basis for the climate change problem-solving; The climate change combating will require joint efforts of the entire society.

Natural Disaster Risks Turkmenistan is exposed to the following natural hydrometeorological phenomena that pose the most serious danger to social and economical development of the country: floods, mudslides, strong winds, dust storms, droughts, hot winds, frosts, torrential rains, heats, heavy snowfalls and hails. In floods and mudslides that caused significant material losses emerged about 30 times. Strong winds are repeated on average in over 120 cases, heat – about 50. Compared to number of floods, mudslides and torrential rains is increasing.

Forecast It is forecasted that throughout Turkmenistan until 2040 atmospheric air temperature will increase to average 2ºС. Rates of temperature change will be more intensive after Estimations show the change of temperature from 2- 3ºС to 6-7ºС by 2100; Before 2020 an insignificant increase of the number of precipitations is expected, then its sharp decrease. Rates of decrease of the number of precipitations will be more noticeable after 2040, by 2100 number of precipitations will decrease from 8% to 17%; Based on the forecast of Hydrometeorological Center of Uzbekistan, flow of the Amudarya, the main source of surface waters of Turkmenistan will decrease to 10-15% until The flow of small rivers of Turkmenistan – Murgab, Tedjen and Etrek will decrease to 5-8% by Besides, the most important fact is that the flow of local rivers in the vegetation period may decrease to 30%; As per the conclusion of Inter-Governmental group of experts on climate change a supposed climate change will cause increase of air temperature changeability during a day, month, pressure, humidity; intensification of frequency and force of weather phenomena of regional and local scales – droughts, floods, mudslides, dust storms etc.; In Turkmenistan the climate change will involve increase of the number of floods and mudslides (10% per year) as well as rainfalls (5% per year) and high heat periods (1.6% per year).

Key Focuses Priority focuses are: Measures on improving energy efficiency, energy- and resource-saving in all sectors of economics; Development of alternative energy sources; Technological growth for future development and competitiveness; Energy safety, diversification of economics; Basic tools of the national policy for implementation of measures are: Enhancement of regulatory and legal base; Improvement of institutional structures; Introduction of financial tools stimulating reduction of GHG emissions; Establishment of national GHG monitoring system; Development of information tools.