A consultative workshop was held today in Ashgabat under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project “Umbrella Programme to Support Development of Biodiversity Finance Plans” funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan.  The event brought together national stakeholders to present and review the key outcomes of the Policy and Institutional Review (PIR) and the preliminary results of the Biodiversity Expenditure Review (BER) in Turkmenistan.  

The project utilizes the globally recognized Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) methodology to assess national financing needs, evaluate current expenditures, and identify strategic opportunities to mobilize additional resources for nature conservation. By aligning national efforts with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the initiative aims to close the biodiversity finance gap. 

During the workshop, participants reviewed the project's initial findings on biodiversity finance in Turkmenistan, including how current public and private investments support biodiversity, the existing policy and institutional framework, and preliminary estimates of biodiversity-related expenditures. Their feedback will help refine these analyses and inform the next stages of the project. 

The findings presented at the workshop provide the foundation for identifying the financial resources needed to achieve Turkmenistan's national biodiversity goals and for developing a National Biodiversity Finance Plan. By integrating biodiversity considerations into national planning and budgeting, the initiative will help strengthen environmental governance, improve coordination among institutions, and promote more effective investment in nature conservation. 

“The insights shared today mark a critical step forward in understanding our current landscape of biodiversity expenditures and policy incentives,” said Mr. Farhat Orunov, Programme Analyst of the UNDP Environmental Portfolio in Turkmenistan. “By applying the BIOFIN methodology, Turkmenistan is equipping itself with the evidence and tools needed to eliminate harmful subsidies, optimize existing resource allocations, and attract innovative financing for nature.”