An introductory seminar for a new UNDP project in Turkmenistan, ‘Umbrella Programme to Support Development of Biodiversity Finance Plans’, was held in Ashgabat. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal.

The initiative, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by UNDP in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment of Turkmenistan, aims to create a national Biodiversity Finance Plan in line with the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Participants discussed the country's priorities in the field of nature conservation, funding needs and ways to attract public and private resources.

Particular attention was paid to aligning national measures with the Kunming-Montreal Framework, which calls for reducing the global funding gap for ecosystem protection through innovative financial solutions.

The project is being implemented in a number of countries and aims to develop sustainable financing mechanisms, integrate environmental priorities into national strategies, and promote ‘green’ investments that contribute to a sustainable, nature-oriented future.