KUALA LUMPUR – Uzbekistan which has initiated the Aral Culture Summit project hopes it will help to mitigate the consequences of the Aral Sea tragedy in the long run.
According to a statement made available to Bernama by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Malaysia, a member of the Uzbekistan delegation to the United Nations (UN) 2023 Water Conference (March 2022-2024), Saida Mirziyoyeva, had called on the international community to continue supporting Uzbekistan’s efforts to mitigate the consequences of the Aral Sea tragedy, which is inextricably linked to global water problems.
The statement said Mirziyoyeva had spoken of how the Aral Sea crisis is a reminder of the consequences of human environmental neglect.
“However, thanks to the efforts of caring people, it is now becoming a symbol of hope and renewal”, she was quoted as saying at the March 23 high-level plenary session of the conference in New York, the first major water UN conference in some 45 years.
“The Aral Sea, which used to be the 4th largest in the world, fed by the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, has lost 75% of its surface area and 90% of its water volume within 50 years.
“In the past, villages, towns and people prospered and lived in the lush area, the fishing industry was strong and biodiversity was preserved. Today, most parts of what used to be a massive lake has entirely dried up,” the statement said
Mirziyoyeva noted that more than US$14 million (RM62 million) was allocated to implement various projects aimed at reviving the region.
The Aral Culture Summit project, initiated by the Uzbek government’s Art and Culture Development Foundation and presented at the UN Water Conference is a new institution that will bring together the local and international community, leading scientists, architects, artists and designers.
“As part of the Aral Culture Summit, educational and exchange programmes, scholarships and internships will be created that will motivate the younger generation to develop skills that contribute to the improvement of the situation in the region.
The Summit will bring creative people together with local farmers to build sustainable relations in bio-design, grow new plants and develop a strategic plan for the next 10 years. This will set the stage for huge changes in the local community,” the statement further said. – Bernama, March 26, 2023
