The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Turkmenistan held a meeting with young eco-activists to familiarize them with the activities of UNDP in Turkmenistan in the area of environment and climate change and engage youth in the initiatives to raise environmental awareness and promote environmentally friendly behavior among population.

During the meeting, which was held in the format of an “open dialogue”, UNDP specialists familiarized the participants with existing joint UNDP projects in the field of environment, climate change and energy and provided a platform for exchanging views and knowledge on making environmentally sound decisions.

“UNDP recognizes the role of the younger generation as a key partner in the fight against climate change and welcomes their active engagement in the efforts on building a sustainable and fair future for all,” – noted Narine Sahakyan, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan. “Speaking about rational use of natural resources and engaging youth in eco-friendly initiatives, UNDP provides the younger generation with an opportunity to comprehend their personal response to global environmental challenges and begin to apply their own sustainable solutions.” 

The meeting participants were introduced to the principles of sustainable waste management in the framework of the UNDP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan project "Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Green Urban Development in Ashgabat and Avaza”, funded by the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) and UNDP and discussed the ways of engaging the country’s youth in efforts to achieve a sustainable lifestyle.

“Individual and collective decisions and actions can lead us to a sustainable future, as the fight against climate change is a common challenge that concerns everyone. Therefore, we need not only follow environmentally friendly lifestyle ourselves, but also encourage others towards a sustainable lifestyle,” said Rovshen Nurmuhammedov, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative in Turkmenistan during the meeting.