At the end of January, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has inspected the construction of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat autobahn, which in the future, having connected with the Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi highway, will expand the geography of supplies along the sea route to the Caucasus region, Europe, Russia and the Persian Gulf countries.
The autobahn first section Ashgabat-Tejen is envisaged to be commissioned this year.
The construction of the autobahn that has begun has set new tasks on the preservation of the ecology of this region at the design stage for the scientists of the Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, who have a rich experience in studying the Karakum desert.
In this regard, the Institute is developing a special scientific topic “Study of the impact of economic objects on the ecology of the desert and the development of appropriate environmental protection measures.”
What are the plans of environment experts related to the construction of the Autobahn? ORIENT addressed these questions to Amanklych Babayev, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory for Monitoring Desertification and Sand Consolidation of the Institute of Deserts, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Professor.
World experience shows that active monitoring and research of the state of the desert cover begins at the initial stage of construction work, when special equipment starts develop virgin sandy surface of the desert.
Technical equipment involuntarily destroy the layers of sand, which previously prevented from it t more or less.Scientists from many countries were faced with the problems of studying the territories near infrastructure construction area.
Our specialists have accumulated sufficient experience on sand-fixing measures near facilities under construction in the Karakum Desert.
The methodology for protecting economic facilities from shifting sands and blowing out is quite extensive and diverse.There are three types of techniques used as sand-fixing measures.
Mechanical measures such as erecting sand-retaining wind walls and placing straw checkerboards using inert and bulk materials, clay, blocks of fossilized gypsum (deridash), and film material have proved to be very efficient for stabilizing shifting sands and protecting traffic lines that pass through the desert areas.
Physical-and-chemical measures: protection by preparing and applying fixing solutions, fixing shifting sands with shafts covered with structure-forming agents using the sand itself, with polymer agents and complex protection.
Biological measures such as planting of plants, sowing seeds, supplementing crops and protecting plantings.
Planting a variety of local vegetation along the autobahn is also relevant because gas stations, retail outlets, driver rest areas and other facilities will be erected on the highway.
Laboratory staff are already working on these problems, developing practical recommendations and proposals related to environmental protection measures during the construction of the autobahn Ashgabat-Tejen section.
As world practice shows, the final goal of scientific monitoring of the state of shifting sand during the construction of facilities like the Autobahn is the preparation of useful proposals and recommendations for construction companies by scientists.
A combination the efforts of construction and environment experts would attain better result.As a result, the premium quality highway that meets international standards and the preservation of the ecological stability of the desert region.