OREANDA-NEWS. March 25, 2010. The International Scientific Conference on the Role of the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake in Improving the Environmental Situation in the Region, which brings together the leading scientists and experts from different countries of the world, water industry and agricultural specialists, has opened in Avaza national tourism zone today. The representative forum focuses on the environmental security issues as well as the large-scale activities carried on in Turkmenistan to reform the agricultural sector, ensure an abundance of food products and address urgent environmental problems. The guests will have an opportunity to visit the Turkmen Lake, receive the first-hand information about the scale and prospects of this project and learn about the nature protection activities conducted in the Hazar State Nature Reserve.

As is known, calling for enhancing mutually advantageous cooperation based on the mutual respect for the interests of all nations Turkmenistan puts forward important initiatives to ensure environmental security and efficient water management. From ancient times Turkmen farmers live in harmony with nature and cultivate fertile oases. In the epoch of new Revival this centuries-old experience is being enriched. The large-scale reforms launched on the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov provide for adopting innovations, advance irrigation technologies including drip irrigation and sprinkling. Our government put efforts to efficiently use every drop of water that is a real treasure in the arid conditions; this is the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake project of an unprecedented scale is aimed at.

The first stage of the Turkmen Lake was put into operation on July 15, 2009. The leader of the Turkmen state attended the ceremony. The second construction stage provides for extending and deepening the water inlet system that will allow draining saline water from the oases and recycling it.

The large-scale reforms have been launched in our country today including those aimed at developing the agro-industry sector, in this regard paramount attention is paid to protection of the environment and efficient use of water resources to create more favourable living conditions for people. The readiness to use this experience to achieve environmental security in the region as well as the prospects and priorities of cooperation in this field was the focus of the talks held during the recent state visit of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Tajikistan. In particular, the Turkmen leader emphasized that the grandiose project launched in Turkmenistan was aimed at rehabilitating the environment and efficiently managing water resources.

Turkmenistan, which has the real economic potential and profound scientific experience in crop farming and water management in the arid zone, is in the vanguard of research in this field. The Turkmen Lake is an innovative project illustrating that our country plays an increasing role in water management efforts in the region. Therefore, this experience arouses keen interest among foreign scientists and specialists, many of whom are taking part in the international scientific conference devoted to the Turkmen Lake.

The two-day scientific forum is expected to work out the practical recommendations on the adoption of Turkmenistan’s positive experience in other countries of the world, expand cooperation at the regional and global levels to prevent water shortage. The conference participants view fostering international cooperation on conservation of natural ecosystems, prevention of land degradation, achievement of water and food security as their major task.

The scientific forum in Avaza tourism zone will certainly become a remarkable step to protect the environment and efficiently manage water resource for agricultural purposes in our country as well as the countries of the Central Asia region.