Delegations from various international organizations convened at a regional forum in Ashgabat to discuss the Aral Sea crisis., the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper has reported.
One session dealt with a resolution adopted in May by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) entitled "Consideration of modalities for establishing a special UN programme for the Aral Sea basin".
The information says this is the first step in implementing Turkmenistan's initiative.
The resolution creates additional conditions for investment in water use in Central Asia development of a joint strategy on water resources management, considering regional development's climatic, environmental, social, and economic factors.
Representatives of Turkmenistan also voiced their proposal to open a regional climate technology centre for Central Asia in Ashgabat under the auspices of the United Nations. This could become one of the platforms to attract financing for rational use of water resources.
The Aral Sea was once the fourth-largest lake in the world. Misplaced agricultural irrigation projects decades ago, coupled with rising temperatures, shrank the sea to just 10% of its original surface by the end of the 1990s.
The region faced an acute problem of water scarcity and land salinization. According to experts, much of Central Asia, where the agricultural sector is essential, is prone to low-water and dry periods.
During the 1990s, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) was established by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to carry out collaborative initiatives. Nevertheless, limited financial resources have hampered their efforts.
Credits: Eziz Boyarov, Ashgabat
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