DIRECTOR OF TURKMENISTAN'S DESERT INSTITUTE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000820

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, OES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAGR SENV TX
SUBJECT: DIRECTOR OF TURKMENISTAN'S DESERT INSTITUTE
EXPLAINS TURKMEN LAKE PROJECT

REF: A. ASHGABAT 0788

B. ASHGABAT 0608


1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: The National Institute of Desert Flora
and Fauna is active in all aspects of desert studies and has
worked extensively internationally. The Institute supports
the creation of the Turkmen Lake and serves as the
government's focal point for the International Fund for
Saving the Aral Sea. According to the Institute's director,
the spread of desertification in Turkmenistan is a manageable
problem. When it comes to ecology, the ideology of the
"Golden Age of Turkmenistan" also extends to the Desert
Institute. END SUMMARY.

INSTITUTE HISTORY AND STRUCTURE


3. (SBU) Director of the National Institute of Desert Flora
and Fauna Paltamet Esenov, clearly thrilled that the Charge
was the first ambassadorial-rank official to visit the
Institute, said in a meeting on June 26 that the Institute
was unique among similar institutions in the former Soviet
Union. Its specialists have worked internationally since the
mid-1960's, in countries such as Algeria, China, Germany,
India, Iraq, Mongolia, Peru, and the United States.
Departments in the Institute study animals and plants of the
desert, as well as the desert itself, including entomology,
vertebrates, invertebrates, forests and pastures, plant
resources, ecology and cell structure of plants, ecological
monitoring, and endangered lands. The Institute has a
library and Internet access. On a yearly basis, the
Institute updates Turkmenistan's "Red Book" of endangered
species. However, the Ministry of Nature Protection oversees
Turkmenistan's eight nature reserves.

TURKMEN LAKE


4. (SBU) Esenov did not answer the Charge's question about
ecological effects of the ongoing Turkmen Lake project (Ref
A),but explained that the Lake is located in an area with
low salinity. The Lake will vastly improve the current
situation, in which water from Lebap province drains into the
salty Amu Darya River, and water from Dashoguz province
drains into Sarykamysh Lake. (NOTE: Part of Sarykamysh Lake
is located in Uzbekistan. Turkmen Lake will be located only
in Turkmenistan. END NOTE.) Only "extra" water will fill
the lake, which will take 97 years to fill. The presence of
the lake will also benefit animals such as migratory birds.
Researchers at the Institute are considering building similar
lakes in each province of Turkmenistan to improve efficiency.

INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR SAVING THE ARAL SEA


5. (SBU) In addition to running the Institute, Esenov serves
as Turkmenistan's focal point for the International Fund for
Saving the Aral Sea. The Institute has housed the Fund's
Information Centers for the Interstate Sustainable
Development Commission and the Intergovernmental Commission
for Water Management for 14 years, and in this role,
publishes bulletins in Russian and English. Esenov mentioned
that the Aral Basin program consists of three stages -- from
1993-1998, 2003-2010, and 2011-2015 -- but did not elaborate.
As a result of the Fund's meeting in Almaty in April (Ref
B),Esenov said the UN Center for Preventive Diplomacy will
organize an international seminar on protecting Central
Asia's environment. Esenov serves as Turkmenistan's focal
point for other international conventions related to the
environment as well.

PUBLICATIONS


6. (SBU) Since the Soviet period, the Institute has
published the journal "Problems of Desert Development."

ASHGABAT 00000820 002 OF 002


Previously U.S. publisher Allerton Press published this
journal in English six times a year, but stopped due to a
lack of funding. Esenov proudly showed a number of
pamphlets, books, and journals that contained his Institute's
work and his articles, including a book called
"Desertification Combat and Food Safety: Added Value of
Camel Producers," and booklets that summarize the Institute's
major accomplishments of the year.

OUTSIDE EFFECTS ON TURKMENISTAN'S ECOLOGY


7. (SBU) Esenov said that desertification in Turkmenistan is
increasing due to oil and gas exploration, but various
entities are planting trees to help curb this trend. He said
the situation is too dynamic to predict future developments
on this front because Turkmenistan continues to develop more
gas fields. In general, he suggested that desertification in
Turkmenistan is decreasing and the country's situation in
this regard is better than other countries' such as Iran and
Mongolia or in Africa. In answer to a question on the effect
of Turkmenistan's reforestation program and the increased use
of irrigation in the desert, Esenov said that recently they
have seen plants in the desert that they had not seen for ten
years. However, he ascribed this trend as much, if not more,
to the heavy rains of spring 2009 than to government policy
and practice.


8. (SBU) COMMENT: Esenov was engaging and is recognized as
a world-class scientist. Perhaps that is why he looked
somewhat uncomfortable when asked about Turkmen Lake and the
spread of desertification. Differences in statements by
Esenov and those by the Deputy Chairman for Agriculture and
Water Management (Ref A) suggest that the party line has not
been sufficiently coordinated. Although he was undoubtedly a
great scientist, when it comes to ecology, the ideology of
the "Golden Age of Turkmenistan" also extends to the Desert
Institute. END COMMENT.
MILES