"Goodwill Ambassadors of the Aral Sea region" gathered in Nukus

The International Scientific and Practical conference "Goodwill Ambassadors of the Aral Sea region" dedicated to solving environmental problems of the region was held in Nukus.

The event brought together representatives of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, Jokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the Central Asian University for the Study of Environment and Climate Change ("Green University"), the International Innovation Center of the Aral Sea Region, the Research Institute of Hydrometeorology, the Research Institute of Forestry, the Research Institute of Environment and Environmental Technologies, the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, specialized universities, The media. The conference is attended by experts from the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), UNDP and other international organizations.
— Modern global problems related to environmental pollution, climate change and inefficient use of natural resources require focusing on sustainable development, training specialists and experts of a new format in the field of ecology and environmental protection, the introduction of innovative approaches to solving problems, — said Deputy Minister of Ecology Zhusipbek Kazbekov. — An important place in this process is given to the International Scientific and Practical Conference "Goodwill Ambassadors of the Aral Sea Region" held in Nukus, aimed at applying new knowledge and conducting interdisciplinary research to support national, regional and international innovation systems in the field of ecology, environmental protection, nature management and sustainable development in this region.
During the conference, the participants got acquainted with reports on the ongoing work in the Aral Sea region, the role and importance of afforestation of the drained bottom of the Aral Sea, the problems of the water of the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River and ways to solve them, the prospects for the development of sustainable tourism in the protected areas of the Aral Sea region.
— President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has set the task to plant 100,000 hectares of forests on the drained bottom of the Aral Sea this year. We have already created 156 thousand hectares, some of which were carried out by sowing seeds with the help of aviation. The planting of crops resistant to the Aral Sea climate is actively carried out. We also plan to create an International center for the cultivation of seedlings and forage plants," said Zinovy Novitsky, head of the laboratory of the Forestry Research Institute, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences. — We are developing a new direction in Karakalpakstan — beekeeping. Our specialists have already created more than two thousand hectares of tamarisk plantations, from one hectare of which 50 kilograms of honey can be harvested during the flowering period.
The speakers highly appreciated the measures being implemented in this direction. It was noted that during 2018-2023, 1.73 million hectares of forests were planted on the bottom of the Aral Sea. Thus, a unique opportunity has been created for landscaping 17 thousand square kilometers of a desert sandy zone. In 2024, it is planned to lay forests with a total area of up to 200 thousand hectares.