BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 23. Turkmenistan has launched a joint initiative with Kazakhstan to implement rainwater harvesting and reuse systems in the country.
This was reflected in a report published by the press service of the Turkmen government following an agreement reached between the Turkmenistan Project Office of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) and Kazakhstan's Central Asian Institute for Environmental Research (CAIER).
According to the report, the project will begin with pilot sites in Ashgabat and the Avaza National Tourist Zone, where engineering solutions will be developed to collect, filter and reuse rainwater for irrigating green areas. The partners also plan to sign a memorandum of cooperation and jointly seek international financing for the initiative.
"The combination of CAIER's scientific expertise and the practical experience of the CAREC Project Office will make it possible to prepare high-quality international projects, attract financing and introduce modern rainwater harvesting technologies," said Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan.
According to the organizations, the initiative will combine CAIER's research experience in rainwater harvesting with CAREC's capacity to carry out climate and engineering assessments. Specialists will also exchange hydrometeorological and technical data needed to design the pilot systems.
If successfully implemented, the project could later be expanded to other regions of Turkmenistan as part of broader efforts to strengthen climate resilience, improve water management and promote nature-based solutions across Central Asia, the report says.
Meanwhile, water management has become one of the key priorities for Central Asian countries as climate change, population growth and increasing pressure on water resources accelerate demand for more efficient technologies. Rainwater harvesting systems are increasingly being used worldwide to reduce pressure on freshwater supplies, particularly in urban areas and regions with arid climates.
Turkmenistan has in recent years expanded cooperation with international organizations on climate adaptation and sustainable water management. The country is implementing a number of projects together with regional and international partners aimed at improving water efficiency, introducing nature-based solutions and strengthening resilience to climate change, while regional cooperation on water issues has become one of the priorities of Central Asian environmental initiatives.
