The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, the major business union of the country, and local experts, concluded a series of four seminars and forums on improved waste management in Turkmenistan’s western province of Balkan.
The seminars were attended by government representatives, civil society, and entrepreneurs involved in waste management, the US Embassy in Ashgabat announced in its Friday press release.
The Government of Turkmenistan prioritizes waste management in the nation’s environmental protection and sustainable development strategies. To support the Government’s priorities, USAID has facilitated strategic discussions on new models of cooperation between municipalities, civil society and local entrepreneurs to reduce waste, increase recycling, and improve waste segregation and disposal mechanisms.
The seminar was a strategic planning session to initiate new cooperation mechanisms between municipalities and local entrepreneurs, helping to improve segregation and collection of waste and reduce pressure on municipal waste facilities.
USAID’s previous work in this sector supported strengthening waste management infrastructure in all five regions of Turkmenistan, and promoted awareness on environmental issues.
This week, the USAID’s Future Growth Initiative in cooperation with the EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses program announced the start of the second round of Export Platform program to provide Turkmen companies with consultative training on promoting their exports.