Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The drying up of the Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth largest lake, is one of the largest global anthropogenic environmental disasters that has affected the economic and social situation of millions of people living in the Central Asian region with the epicenter in the Republic of Karakalpakstan , in Uzbekistan. The catastrophe caused a number of negative consequences, such as land degradation, desertification, lack of drinking water, malnutrition and deterioration in the health of the local population.

As part of the Green Deal and the new Strategy for Central Asia, the European Union (EU) continues to prioritize environmental restoration and the integration of environmental protection into other sectors of the economy, with a focus on the transition to a circular economy. In 2020, the EU adopted the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy "Bringing nature back into our lives". As part of the EU Green Deal, the Strategy aims to address the main drivers of biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems. As part of the strategy, large-scale work is being carried out in Europe to increase the size of protected areas, restore the free flow of rivers, and reduce the use of pesticides. It is planned to plant 3 billion trees in Europe by 2030 in full compliance with environmental principles. 

The EU also works closely with international partners in this regard, including Uzbekistan, and supports a number of government initiatives aimed at restoring the environment and especially the rehabilitation of the Aral Sea region. Among them is the project "My Garden in the Aral Sea" for planting greenery in the Aralkum desert and nearby settlements of Karakalpakstan by planting forests adapted to the climatic conditions of the region. This means that each tree must be planted in a place that has the right conditions for its existence and growth. On the example of the Aral Sea, we can see that the ongoing work on landscaping and increasing the biodiversity of the territory is carried out on the basis of long-term planning and monitoring.

“At the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in 2019 the territory of the Aral Sea was declared a zone of environmental innovation and technology. At the moment, the State Committee for Ecology is actively working to attract experienced innovation specialists, create economic and financial conditions for attracting business and investment to the region. It is planned to create monitoring scientific stations here, which will make it possible to study the bottom of the Aral Sea, as well as conduct large-scale research with the involvement of foreign and local specialists,” said Jusipbek Kazbekov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Environmental Protection.

Since 2018, more than 2,500 people, more than 500 units of special equipment, and aviation have been attracted to the territory of the dried-up Aral Sea to plant greenery in the region. In the sandy-saline desert, drought-resistant stands are mainly planted, such as saxaul and kandym. The area of these plantations at the moment is 1 million 700 thousand hectares. Saxaul forests play an important role in soil protection and help prevent canals, oases, and roads from being covered with sand. One saxaul is able to support more than 10 tons of soil and not allow sand and harmful substances to spread to settlements.

During a study tour of the Heads of Diplomatic Missions of EU Member States to Karakalpakstan at the end of April, EU representatives announced their intention to plant 27,000 tree seedlings at the bottom of the Aral Sea by the end of 2022 as a gift to Karakalpakstan and Uzbekistan from 27 EU Member States and in support for the efforts of the Government of the country to restore lands affected by desertification.

“The European Union and its member states are ready to support Uzbekistan in all efforts to prevent environmental degradation and increase the resilience of the population affected by the tragedy. The EU has already allocated over €5 million to the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea region, highlighting the high level of commitment to disaster mitigation. The EU hereby also plans to plant 27,000 trees by the end of this year. In this way, we hope to pave the way for future green investments and improved ecosystems and sustainable living in the Aral Sea region,” said Charlotte Adrian, Ambassador of the European Union to Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is also working to expand the zones of specially protected natural areas. On the part of the State Committee for Ecology, a landscape reserve was created on an area of more than 350,000 hectares to protect saigas. In 2020, the South Ustyurt National Natural Park with a total area of over 1.4 million hectares was created in the Kungrad region of Karakalpakstan. The significance of the natural object is given by the rare and endangered species of animals living here, listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In 2021, in order to preserve a rare and endangered bird species in the same region of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, two thousand beautiful bustards were released into the wild. Every spring, flocks of pink flamingos arrive at Lake Sudochye. More than 1.4% of the world’s flamingo population lives here. The unique geographic location of the Sudochi lake system and a large number of brine shrimp, the main food base for flamingos, is a favorable nesting site. In addition, up to 230 species of birds are found on the lake.

The well-being of millions of people living in the region, mainly in rural areas, directly or indirectly depends on the state of ecosystems and the ability to maintain favorable environmental parameters. Without efforts to conserve ecosystems and biodiversity, it is impossible to make a just transition to a climate-smart future.

The countries of Central Asia, in particular Uzbekistan, recognize the high importance of biodiversity for socio-economic development and maintaining stability in the region. All countries of the region are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on the Protection of the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Despite the difference in the socio-economic indicators of countries, the experience of regional biodiversity conservation initiatives has shown that environmental conservation and combating the consequences of climate change can become a reliable platform for cooperation in the region.