Communities in Bokurdak, Turkmenistan, are increasingly losing ground to moving dunes from the Karakum Desert, forcing relocations and threatening livelihoods. Scientists link accelerating desertification to climate change, deforestation and human activity, with the World Bank estimating a regional economic cost near 6% of GDP annually. The government cites a campaign that has planted 162 million trees in 20 years, while locals deploy drought-tolerant saxaul shrubs and cyanobacteria soil treatments to stabilise sand and retain moisture. Experts say long-term success needs better land management and regional cooperation.
Turkmen Village Battles Encroaching Dunes as Desertification Accelerates
Scientists warn climate change is accelerating desertification of the land (Nikolay Vavilov)(Nikolay Vavilov/AFP/AFP)
Residents of the remote Turkmen village of Bokurdak say they are losing farmland and homes to advancing dunes from the Karakum Desert, forcing many families to relocate downhill and threatening long-established livelihoods.
What Is Happening
Large moving dunes and shifting sheets of sand have increasingly encroached on agricultural plots and settlements around Bokurdak. Locals — who call the desert "gumli" — describe a steady migration of the village from higher ground to lower terrain as sand overruns former fields and pathways.
"The village of Bokurdak used to be on a hill north of this place. Then, due to the advancing desert, we had to move lower and lower," pensioner Kakabai Baimedov told AFP.
Drivers And Regional Impact
Scientists warn that a combination of climate change, deforestation and other human activities is accelerating desertification and soil degradation across Central Asia. The World Bank estimates the economic cost of desertification in the region at roughly 6% of GDP each year. The Karakum Desert covers more than 80% of Turkmenistan, making the country particularly vulnerable.
Climate Trends
Average temperatures in Central Asia have risen at about twice the global rate since 1991, increasing drought stress and the frequency of dry, erosive winds that mobilise sand.
Local And Government Responses
Turkmen authorities say they have planted 162 million trees over the past two decades as part of a large-scale anti-desertification campaign. State media and officials highlight high-profile tree-planting events, including appearances by senior leaders, and the adoption of species better adapted to local conditions.
AFP could not independently verify the government's planting figures. Independent reporting in Turkmenistan is limited and many state activities remain tightly controlled.
On-the-Ground Measures
In Bokurdak and other vulnerable areas, scientists and volunteers have focused on saxaul (Haloxylon), a hardy desert shrub whose roots can reach deep underground to access moisture. Saxaul helps stabilise dunes, retain soil moisture and act as a windbreak for homes and roads. Local caretaker Baimedov tends roughly 15,000 saplings intended to form a protective green barrier.
However, warming temperatures have made early establishment harder: young saxaul saplings previously needed about 10 litres of water per day to root; locals now report requirements up to 20 litres daily. Researchers are also trialling cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) soil sprays to help retain moisture and encourage root development.
Regional Coordination
In September, Turkmenistan's president proposed creating a regional centre to coordinate anti-desertification efforts across Central Asia, a move supporters say could boost cross-border cooperation on a problem that transcends national boundaries.
Outlook: Planting and soil-stabilisation efforts show local benefits — such as reduced sand on routes into the capital — but experts warn sustained success will require improved land management, larger-scale reforestation with climate-adapted species, and measures to address the underlying drivers of climate change and deforestation.
