Turkmenistan - Climate
Turkmenistan is a water stressed country with one of the harshest climates in the Central Asian region. Parts of Turkmenistan saw torrential rains in early May 2018, followed by a freak salt storm later in the month caused by high winds lifting alkaline soil from the desiccated Aral Sea and depositing it on land, and crops, in northern and eastern Turkmenistan. A similar storm of lesser intensity reportedly hit the region again in July 2018. Salt storms are common in areas near the Aral Sea, but these carried salt over a much wider area. It was obvious the 2018 harvest in Turkmenistan would be less than planned.
In May 2018 a severe salt storm damaged agriculture and livestock herds. The three-day storm hit Uzbekistan's Karakalpakstan and Khorezm regions, as well as Turkmenistan's Dashoguz Province, beginning on May 26. The salt -- lifted from dried-out former parts of the Aral Sea -- left a white dust on farmers' fields and fruit trees that is expected to ruin many crops. The storm made driving hazardous, and caused breathing difficulties for many people. Remnants of the storm were reported as far south as Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.
Once one of the four largest seas on Earth, intensive irrigation projects set up by the Soviets in the 1960s led to its desiccation. The runoff from nearby agricultural fields has polluted the remaining parts of the Aral Sea with pesticides and fertilizers, which have crystallized with the salt. Inhalation of the salt can cause severe throat and lung problems. The salt also can poison farmers' produce and cause chemical damage to buildings.
Turkmenistan is comprised of two main agro-ecological zones, with roughly 80% of the country consisting of desert rangeland, running from the Caspian Sea in the west to the stunning mountainous range in the east. Desert ecosystems are particularly fragile, with plant and animal species dependent on scarce water resources. In a country where summer temperatures can exceed 45°C/115°F, climate change has begun to disrupt the delicate balance between oasis and desert - between sustainable ecosystem and desertified wasteland.
The remaining 20% of Turkmenistan is populated with oases and their surrounding irrigated fields. Turkmenistan is naturally arid, and dependent on agriculture for sustenance and commerce, rendering water an especially valuable resource. Regionally, water scarcity issues contribute to trans-boundary tensions. In the past, native juniper forests were cut down for fuel. At the time, little thought was given to the serious consequences of deforestation and with the absence of juniper trees, erosion increased substantially and water availability decreased.
Traditionally, the villagers collected run-off from the mountain slopes and gorges in specially built reservoirs. In years with good rains, the reservoirs stored sufficient water to irrigate the surrounding fields, but during the last 5-6 years, the reservoirs have been left unfilled due to insufficient precipitation as a result of deforestation. These water shortages caused subsequent difficulties in farming, and the locals began to focus exclusively on livestock breeding. The consequent overgrazing caused further erosion of the hill slopes.
Climate change is expected to diminish water supplies, increase temperature, further aridification and desertification, and exacerbate regional competition for water. Climate change modeling indicates significant increases in temperature and reduction in rainfall. This will lead to a decrease in total volume of water availability that is likely to have a profound impact on agricultural production systems and local farmers. The long-term solution envisaged by the Government of Turkmenistan is to mainstream climate change adaptation in order to secure climate resilient livelihoods in agricultural communities.
Turkmenistan is vulnerable to climate change due to moisture deficiency. Droughts and higher temperatures are the two limiting factors for water development, agriculture and forestry. The rivers of the country are very important for irrigation; however, their uneven distribution over the country causes a shortage of water available for this purpose, especially in the south and west.
Climate change is likely to reduce the volume of water available for irrigation and consequently limit the amount of crops produced. This is a threat to food security for the growing population in Turkmenistan. The people of Turkmenistan are also vulnerable to sharp rises in temperature which cause heat stress. It is a dry climate with minimal rainfall and a high percentage of solar days. Overall, Turkmenistan faces significant challenges in improving living standards by addressing poverty and current environmental stresses, including water availability. It is vulnerable to current climatic conditions due to frequent droughts and extreme weather conditions. As well, it has limited capacity to forecast weather and to manage and adapt to the climatic changes. Furthermore, as agriculture accounts for about 22 per cent of Turkmenistan’s Gross Domestic Product and is a source of livelihood for more than half of the population, the consequences of climate change for this sector could significantly affect the development of the country and its people.
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