Digital land cadastre launched in Ashgabat

On 6 June 2023, a group of experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) conducted an inception workshop in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, for a new digital cadastre project, “Support for the establishment of a digital land cadastre.”

The project responds to a request for support by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, and its Land Resources Service to strengthen its land administration system and to draft a long-term strategy and roadmap for the development of a modern digital geospatial data infrastructure for the country.

The technological advancement envisioned will require infrastructure, social, and systemic changes. The digital systems will necessitate not only cutting-edge technology, but also new legal instruments, upgrading of the geodetic reference network and piloting satellite positioning, streamlining business processes for cadastre surveys, digitization of cadastre records, and a comprehensive training programme for continuing professional development of technical staff in the Land Resources Service.

For Turkmenistan, FAO envisions a digital land cadastre that will harmonize with national digitalization and e-governance efforts, and contribute to evidence-based decision-making, economic development, good governance, enhanced security of tenure, and efficient and sustainable management of natural resources. The project will also promote secure tenure rights for all and support the broader development of small family farms, consistent with the principles of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT).

The project is the first initiative to be implemented in Turkmenistan by FAO within the framework of the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP).

Rolling out activities

The objective of the inception workshop was to introduce key actors the main goals, objectives, and activities of the project and to gain their support for the implementation process. Participants included specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, the Office for the Coordination of International Environmental Cooperation and Projects, the Cadastre Department of the Land Resources Service, and from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Justice.

Chariyar Chetiyev, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, gave the opening address and welcome speech in which he highlighted the importance of utilizing technological advancements for the welfare of farmers and the sustainable development of the agro-industrial complex, as well as other sectors of the economy. Govshut Shadurdyyev, Head of the Cadastre Department of the Land Resources Service, presented the Ministry’s vision for the development and modernization of the land cadastre, emphasizing the importance of creating an open national coordinate system and a network of reference stations as part of the foundations of the land administration system.

Maxim Gorgan, FAO Lead Technical Officer of the expanded upon the aims, objectives and activities, and explained that the project represents the initial step in the digitalization of the land cadastre and the creation of a modern digital geospatial data infrastructure in Turkmenistan. Vladimir Evtimov, FAO Land Tenure Officer, provided an overview of current regional trends in land administration and geospatial information. Additionally, Bradley Paterson, FAO Land Tenure Specialist, emphasized the importance of linking land administration with agriculture policies.

Training on remote sensing

After the workshop, experts from the FAO Geospatial Unit conducted three online training sessions, from 7 to 9 June 2023, on the use of remote sensing to aid in the identification and mapping of crops to enhance more accurate data collection and analysis, leading to improved decision-making and resource management. The sessions were attended by a mixed audience of specialists from the Land Resources Service, central and regional offices, representatives of the Turkmen Agricultural University S.A. Nyýazow, researchers, and land surveyors from the State Design Institute “Türkmenyertaslama.” 

22 June 2023, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 

©FAO