ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 14. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), jointly with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, has handed over specialized laser land leveling equipment to local authorities and agricultural entities, Trend reports via UNDP.
The equipment was delivered to the Hakimlik (municipal administration) of Saparmurat Turkmenbashi District in Dashoguz province and the “Obahyzmat” production association in Darganata District of Lebap province under a project supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It will be used on pilot plots, with plans to scale up the technology among local farmers.
The initiative also includes training for stakeholders and farmers to ensure effective use of the technology, which enables precise land leveling, improves irrigation efficiency, prevents waterlogging and soil salinization.
The equipment transfer is part of broader efforts to combat land degradation, restore ecosystems, and promote sustainable land and water management in the areas, which are most affected by the Aral Sea crisis.
The Aral Sea, located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia, was once one of the largest inland water bodies in the world. Since the 1960s, massive irrigation projects diverted the rivers feeding it, causing the sea to shrink dramatically and lose over 90% of its volume. This led to widespread environmental damage, including desertification, salt storms, and severe ecosystem degradation across the region.
Turkmenistan, particularly its northern Dashoguz region, is directly affected by these consequences through soil salinization, water scarcity, and declining agricultural productivity. To address these challenges, the country has received support from international partners such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), which finance projects aimed at restoring degraded land, improving water management, and strengthening climate resilience.