Dear readers!
My name is Askhat Orazbay and I am the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for the Aral Sea Saving (IFAS), which Kazakhstan chairs from 2024-2026.
I would like to share with the audience IFAS activities aimed at improving the situation in the Aral Sea basin and serving the interests of the peoples and states of Central Asia for 30 years.
In the modern reality with the general population growth, the rapid development of national economies and the increase in specific water consumption per capita, the stress on the natural environment is increasing unstoppably. This intensification of anthropogenic influence is triggering and accelerating the processes of global climate change. In Central Asia, all these processes are occurring faster than the average for the whole planet. The ecological crisis in the Aral Sea basin is accompanied by a gradual deficit and pollution of water resources, land degradation and desertification of large areas, loss of forests, ecological landscapes and biodiversity. A new desert - the Aralkum - has been created on a huge area of the dry Aral Sea bed, covering more than 54 000 square kilometres (for comparison: it is comparable to the territory of Croatia and much larger than Estonia, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland).
In these tense conditions, it is very topical for the Central Asian states to create new mechanisms for the development of cooperation in the region. The main objective of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in IFAS is to further increase the level of cooperation in the field of integrated use and protection of water resources, addressing environmental problems, socio-economic aspects and introducing elements of the "green" economy in the Central Asian countries.
During Kazakhstan's chairmanship, we will continue to implement two major programmes approved by the IFAS Council: the Action Programme for Assistance to the Aral Sea Basin Countries (ASBP-4) and its systematic monitoring, and the Regional Environmental Programme for Sustainable Development of Central Asia (RAPESD CA). The implementation period of both programmes is until 2030.
The ecological problem of the Aral Sea began to emerge in the 1960s and 1970s and led to the fact that practically nothing remains of the fourth largest lake on our planet. The Aral was first divided into two bodies of water, then into three, and so on.
In the years of independence, Kazakhstan, with the support of the World Bank, carried out comprehensive work and managed to restore a small part - the Little Aral or North Aral, but it is only about 8 % of the original value. The port city of Aralsk is still far away from the water, which first moved 100 km away, but after the measures taken it has come much closer.
The particles and dust of salts and toxic chemicals left on the dried-up Aral Sea bed are found not only in the mountains of Janshan and Pamir, but also far beyond our region. In order to limit the removal of harmful substances, countries in the Aral Sea region are actively engaged in phytomelioration measures, planting saxaul (Haloxylon) and other vegetation.
But is planting plants on the former bottom of a reservoir so effective? What is the current state of the ecosystems? As is well known, as a result of several watery years in a row, the flow of the Syrdarya has decreased and the volume of water in the northern part of the Aral Sea has dropped from a maximum of 27 to 20 cubic kilometers. Fish catches have decreased, which has had a negative impact on the employment of local residents. Once again, the morbidity of the population is increasing as a result of the drying up and the deterioration in water quality... Will the tragedy not be repeated? What are the moods and plans of the local population? The questions are many and all interrelated.
I believe that there is a need to study the range of issues and work being done, update them and try to address them earlier and more effectively.
In the fourth Action Programme for Assistance to the Aral Sea Basin Countries (ASBP-4), which I have already mentioned, the environment is earmarked as a separate main line of action, consisting of 12 project proposals.
I would like to note that joint action is foreseen for adaptation to climate change, including measures for adapting the most vulnerable sectors: water and agriculture, drinking water, energy, biodiversity, forests, pastures and mountain ecosystems. A regional action plan for climate change adaptation is foreseen and thanks to the support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GiZ) "Green Central Asia" programme, our five countries have developed and adopted a Regional Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation in Central Asia.
The dissemination of best agricultural practices adapted to the climate is also envisaged. We will have to develop a regional programme for the conservation of biological resources in Central Asia, implement measures to protect and restore the ecosystems in the basins of our main rivers - the Amudarji and Syrdarji, and continue systematic forest planting in the Aral Sea area and on the dry Aral Sea bed.
The following ecological projects foresee the development of an environmental and water resources monitoring system in the Aral Sea area and on the dry seabed; the development of ecological innovations and technologies in the Aral Sea area.
I consider a project such as "Improving the quality of water in rivers and reservoirs with regard to international standards, elimination and prevention of pollution, including industrial waste" to be very important. Kazakhstan and other countries are working to join the Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, and Uzbekistan has recently joined.
Reducing disaster risks associated with floods, mudflows and droughts in the Aral Sea basin, studying glaciers on the headwaters of transboundary rivers, developing transboundary eco-corridors, a regional network of specially protected natural areas for biodiversity conservation - this is by no means a complete list of the projects that we must promote during our IFAS presidency.
If we talk about new initiatives that will be implemented within the framework of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in IFAS, it is the creation of a long-term and sustainable regional cooperation mechanism for the effective use of water and energy resources of Central Asia, taking into account the interests of all countries of the region in the field of irrigation, hydropower and ecology. It is also necessary to work systematically on the establishment of a unified automated system of registration, monitoring, management and distribution of water resources in the Aral Sea basin. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev at the meeting of the Council of Heads of the Founding States of IFAS on 15 September 2023 in Dushanbe called on the parties to start implementing these initiatives.
Strengthening regional cooperation with international development partners, UN structural units, financial institutions and the donor community has an important role to play. It is also recommended to intensify activities in the framework of generally accepted international environmental conventions, action plans, declarations and joint statements.
In the period 2024-2026. Kazakhstan will take measures to implement the guidelines and agreements reached by the Heads of State at the IFAS Summit on 15 September 2023 in Dushanbe, as well as previous agreements and commitments, ensuring consistency of CA's actions to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals and its status as a single region.
Yours sincerely
Askhat Orazbay
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