Turkmenistan is advancing large-scale digitization in the land management sector. The country has established a network of stationary automated complexes designed for geodetic and cadastral measurements, topographic surveys, and the creation of a multilayered electronic land use map. These stations operate fully autonomously, managed via the internet and satellite communication, enabling highly accurate real-time data collection. This was reported by the newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan.
According to experts, the implementation of modern geographic information system (GIS) technologies holds strategic importance for the state. The new system facilitates efficient solutions for tasks related to agro-industrial zoning, hydraulic engineering construction, urban planning, territory greening, and environmental monitoring. Ultimately, it promotes the rational and sustainable use of land, a key national asset.
The system is the result of collaborative efforts by specialists from the land service of the agricultural department, lawyers, military cartographers, employees of the State Bureau of Technical Inventory, and its Ahal branch. Scientific and technical support was provided by the ongoing Aral Project of the environmental department and the completed 2025 project by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), titled Support for the Creation of a Digital Land Cadastre in Turkmenistan.
As a result, all five provinces have received equipment sets to create a unified electronic land parcel mapping system. Data collection is now conducted using a new coordinate system, ensuring high accuracy and enabling the integration of previously fragmented paper-based records.
The next phase includes the installation of 57 additional base stations to enhance the capabilities of existing points and cover various designated territories, including the Caspian Sea coast and the Ahal region. The only exceptions will be hard-to-reach areas of the Karakum Desert.
Additionally, the state is procuring 98 portable GNSS/GPS receivers for specialists of the Land Resources Service. These devices will enable rapid measurements and data transmission to the centralized system. They will be distributed among the capital, cities of national importance, and districts across all five provinces.
The modernization process will continue under a Memorandum of Understanding signed on May 5 of this year between the Ministry of Agriculture of Turkmenistan and the French company IGN FI. The agreement covers not only the development of the land cadastre but also the introduction of remote monitoring technologies for assessing the condition of agricultural crops and vegetation.
The electronic land resource database being created will provide the state with comprehensive and up-to-date information on every land parcel. According to a 2024 decree by the Ministry of Agriculture, each land parcel is assigned a multi-digit cadastral number reflecting its precise location—province and district. This number remains unchanged regardless of changes in the land’s purpose, owner, or leaseholder.
Simultaneously, the digitization of archival paper records is underway, enabling the unification of land use schemes and maps.
Land ownership in Turkmenistan is formalized through a new document called the Döwletnama, which serves as the legal basis for registering rights, purchase and sale transactions, transfers, and inheritance. The state ensures minimal taxes and fees compared to international practices, facilitating citizens’ access to legal services in the field of land relations. ///nCa, 16 September 2025