Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources set a goal to plant 1.1 mn planting materials on the drained part of the Aral Sea by the end of 2025. In March 2024, approximately 80 volunteers planted 5100 saxaul saplings on the dried seabed.
According to Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Yerlan Nysanbayev, Kazakhstan produces 1 mn seedlings annually. Establishing a nursery on the dried Aral seabed will require nearly 4 mn seedlings.
In December 2023, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on the international community to increase financial support for the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea during the World Climate Summit.
Planting saxaul trees has proved to be one of the most effective tools to combat increased amounts of sand and salt that appeared due to the draining of the Aral Sea.
To enhance saxaul survival rates, forest rehabilitation undertakings are guided by scientific advisories and operational plans. Scientists have conducted soil analysis across 753,000 hectares thus far, with 544,500 hectares of afforestation completed over the past three years, The Astana Times reports.
On January 8, Uzbekistan's Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that they planted more saxaul trees in the desert areas of the Khorezm region. The Uzbek administration intends to green over 10,000 hectares of desert land.
In 2021, specialists from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan exchanged experiences in planting saxaul and combating the desertification of the Aral Sea. As a result of the visits, the sides agreed to make a new effort to restore the Aral Sea ecosystem.
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