Researchers from China’s Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) and Turkmenistan’s National Institute of Deserts, Flora, and Fauna have completed a 16-day joint scientific expedition in the Karakum Desert, focusing on desertification and biodiversity.
According to XIEG, the survey collected data on wild plant and animal species, soil profiles, dune evolution, and wind-sand hazards affecting key transport routes and priority ecological zones across Turkmenistan’s vast desert region.
The joint research team conducted fieldwork along two major transects: from Ashgabat to the Gaplangyr State Nature Reserve and from Serdar to the Repetek State Biosphere Reserve.
Researchers said the expedition generated valuable first-hand scientific data that will contribute to biodiversity databases for arid regions and support international efforts to address climate change and ecological degradation.
The mission was XIEG’s first comprehensive field research expedition in Turkmenistan in recent years and is expected to strengthen bilateral cooperation in desert ecosystem monitoring, sand-control technologies, and the ecological restoration of degraded lands. /// nCa, 25 June 2026