Environmental issues in Turkmenistan
Environmental issues in Turkmenistan are most visible in three significant areas: desertification, the drying of the Aral Sea, and chemical pollution. All three of these areas are directly linked to agricultural practices in the country.[1][2]
Only the
Inefficient irrigation techniques on the
Competition with neighbouring countries is also contributing to depleting water resources. Afghanistan is building a canal to divert water from the Amu Darya away from Turkmenistan.[6]
Excessive use of fertilizer on cotton and other crops, as well as the use of pesticides such as DDT causes a large chemical pollution problem. Many fertilizers and pesticides have entered groundwater supplies via leaching or runoff from farms due to excessive or improper use.[7]
Over 4 million tonnes of methane, a greenhouse gas which causes climate change, was vented or leaked in 2022. This has a greenhouse effect equivalent to 366 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, which was more than the UK’s annual emissions. [8]
The country is cooperating with the European Union, its member states and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to reduce and manage the impact of these environmental problems.[9][10] However as of 2023 it has not joined the Global Methane Pledge or the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership.[8]
References
- ^ "Turkmenistan combating desertification". AzerNews.az. 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
- ^ "Environmental issues in Turkmenistan". naturvernforbundet.no (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
- ^ "World of Change: Shrinking Aral Sea". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 2014-09-24. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
- ^ "The Aral Sea Crisis". www.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
- PMID 28972331.
- ^ "Turkmenistan: Going south fast". Eurasianet. Apr 25, 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ K.R.Masilamani · (2020-11-06). "World's largest stockpiles of toxic pesticides buried in Central Asia". The Third Pole. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
- ^ ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ "Turkmenistan expands international cooperation in environmental protection". AzerNews.az. 2020-03-01. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
- osce.org. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
External links