The Aral Sea basin is grappling with an ecological crisis marked by dwindling and polluted water resources, land degradation, widespread desertification, and biodiversity loss. The dried-up Aral Sea has birthed a new desert, Aralkum, spanning over 54,000 square kilometers, more prominent than several European countries. As the chair of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), Kazakhstan spearheads efforts to bolster cooperation on water resource management, tackle environmental and socio-economic challenges, and foster a green economy in Central Asia.
Under Kazakhstan’s leadership, two main programs approved by the IFAS Board will persist: the Aral Sea Basin Program-4 (ASBP-4), its systematic monitoring, and the Regional Environmental Protection Program for the Sustainable Development of Central Asia (REPPSD CA). Both programs are set for implementation until 2030.
The environmental crisis of the Aral Sea, which emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, significantly reduced the size of what was once the planet’s fourth-largest lake. The Aral Sea initially split into two and then three separate bodies of water, resulting in its current state.
During the years of Independence, with World Bank support, Kazakhstan undertook comprehensive efforts and restored a small part of the Aral Sea, known as the Small Aral or Northern Aral Sea. However, this restoration only accounts for about 8% of its original size. The port city of Aralsk, previously 100 km from the water’s edge, is now closer due to these restoration efforts.
Salt and toxic chemical particles left on the drained bottom of the Aral Sea are found not only in the Tien Shan and Pamir mountains but also far beyond our region’s borders. To mitigate these harmful substances, the countries of the Aral Sea region are actively implementing phytomeliorative measures, such as planting saxaul (Haloxylon) and other vegetation.
However, the effectiveness of these plantings on the former seabed remains uncertain. The current state of ecosystems is a concern. It is known that several consecutive low-water years have decreased the flow along the Syr Darya, and the volume of water in the Northern Aral Sea has reduced from a maximum of 27 to 20 cubic kilometers.
This reduction led to a decline in fish catch, negatively impacting local employment. The population’s morbidity rate is increasing again due to desertification and water quality deterioration. Will history repeat itself? The sentiments and plans of the local communities are pressing questions that need to be addressed.
A notable initiative was the creation of a regional action plan for climate change adaptation. With the support of the GIZ Green Central Asia Program, five Central Asian countries have formulated and adopted a Regional Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation.
The program also endorses the dissemination of the best climate-adapted agricultural practices. A regional program for the safeguarding of biological resources in Central Asia must be formulated, measures implemented to preserve and restore ecosystems in the basins of our primary rivers—the Amu Darya and the Syrdarya—and systematic forest plantations maintained in the Aral Sea region (Priaralye) zone and on the drained bottom of the Aral Sea.
Present environmental projects aim to develop a system for monitoring the environmental and water resources in the Aral Sea region (Priaralye) and on the drained seabed. They also focus on creating environmental innovations and technologies specifically for the Priaralye zone.
A crucial project is improving water quality in rivers and reservoirs, aligning with international standards, and addressing pollution, including industrial waste. Among other countries, Kazakhstan is progressing towards joining the Protocol on Water and Health under the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. Recently, Uzbekistan has joined this protocol.
These initiatives also include mitigating the risks of natural disasters such as floods, mudflows, and droughts in the Aral Sea basin. They involve studying the condition of glaciers in the upper reaches of transboundary rivers, developing transboundary eco-corridors, and establishing regional networks of specially protected natural areas for biodiversity conservation. These are among the numerous projects we aim to advance during our chairmanship of IFAS.
New initiatives will be undertaken within the framework of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the IFAS. These include establishing a long-term and sustainable regional cooperation mechanism for the efficient use of water and energy resources in Central Asia, considering the interests of all regions in irrigation, hydropower, and ecology.
Systematic work is also needed to implement a unified automated system for accounting, monitoring, management, and distribution of water resources in the Aral Sea basin. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, at a meeting of the Council of Heads of States-Founders of the IFAS in Dushanbe on September 15, 2023, urged the parties to implement these initiatives.
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