NEWS
PROTECTION OF NATURE - A GENERAL TASK
June 17 is the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, and exactly 25 years ago, the Mejlis of Turkmenistan ratified the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. This is what the editorial board of the "Golden Age", in connection with these events, said the regional director of the scientific information center of the interstate commission for sustainable development of the international Fund for saving the Aral Sea, candidate of biological sciences Mukhamed Khudayberdievich Durikov.
- As it was rightly noted, Turkmenistan in 1996 was one of the first to ratify the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. Literally a year later, our country adopted a national action program, which provided for the main aspects of the rational use of pastures, the development of forestry, the consolidation and afforestation of mobile sands, the improvement of the condition of irrigated lands, and the conduct of applied environmental research.
Over the years, the national legislation has been strengthened by the necessary legal documents in this regard. Nevertheless, today there is a need to update the action plan to combat desertification. And therefore, at present, national experts, including the staff of the regional Center, are working on the preparation of a new Program.
It is worth adding to the words of the scientist that on the initiative of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in 2018, in the resort area of Avaza in the city of Turkmenbashi, the Summit of the founding countries of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea was held. Then, as one of the main documents of the Summit, a regional Program was developed on environmental protection for sustainable development in the Central Asian region. A special working group was created to implement the plan.
Recently, in Turkmenistan, within the framework of combating desertification and implementing the forest Program, forest plantations have been carried out on an area of more than 100 thousand hectares. The construction of the Altyn Asyr Lake, where more than 20 different species of fish are registered, also contributes to environmental goals. The reservoir is surrounded by a large amount of vegetation, which, in turn, contributes to the favorable breeding of various species of animals and birds.
The efforts of scientists to restore, improve the water supply of desert pastures, as well as create conditions for the breeding of wild animals are also an obstacle to desertification.
A recent innovation has been the implementation of joint measures with industrial workers and builders to consolidate moving sands create green areas around large transport and logistics facilities, such as the Autobahn under construction.
-Speaking about combating desertification,” continues M. Durikov, - one cannot but mention the problems of countering dust and sand storms. Not so long ago in Germany, the Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification adopted a Strategy for Combating Sand and Dust Storms. On this basis, now we are developing a national Action Plan in this direction.
In general, regarding the identified problems, each of us must remember that the causes of desertification and the appearance of dust storms are careless agricultural activities, careless use of water resources, irrational grazing, soil salinization, and the termination of reclamation work.
To preserve and improve nature, it is necessary to be more careful about plowing lands that are on the verge of desertification, grazing animals, which is allowed only on pastures with sufficient vegetation for this, planting herbs and trees to improve the soil. We must not forget about the rational approach to the use of pastures. A special law "On pastures" was adopted in this regard. Today, our lawyers and scientists are preparing by-laws that provide for the provision of pastures on a long-term lease.
The Chinese philosopher Dao De Ching said: “Heaven and earth are durable because they do not exist for themselves. This is why they can be durable.” And we, today's generation, should remember that the Karakum Desert is a wonderful natural gift and therefore it is necessary to treat them extremely carefully.
Correspondent "GA"