At the end of May, an international conference on glacier conservation was held in Dushanbe, attended by a delegation from Turkmenistan. The event brought together experts, government officials and business representatives to seek solutions for Central Asia's adaptation to climate change. This was reported by the online publication ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’.

Participants discussed cross-sectoral cooperation, glacier monitoring and the integration of water and glacier issues into the SDGs. Particular attention was paid to glacier melt as a key factor in the region's water security.

Turkmenistan was represented by Batyr Mamedov (International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea) and Pirli Kepbanov (National Institute of Deserts). In his report, P. Kepbanov noted that although there are no permanent glaciers in the country, winter snow cover in the mountains plays an important role in water supply. However, rising temperatures are leading to a reduction in precipitation and a decrease in river flow.

The conference explored ways to balance environmental, social and agricultural water needs. For Central Asia, where major rivers depend on glacier melt, these issues are critical.