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Euronews
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Aral Sea crisis: Uzbekistan launches Aral Culture Summit to boost development in the region
ADVERTISEMENT Mention the Aral Sea or search for it online, and apocalyptic scenes appear. A lake once so vast it is still called a sea—teeming with life and supporting dozens of marine species and picturesque fishing villages—is receding and close to disappearing. The concentration of salt and other minerals in the drying waters became so high that it is now almost as lifeless as the Dead Sea. Its former bed now lies barren, a salty desert with few desert-dwelling animals and toxic waste left behind by Soviet biological weapons scientists. Salty dust storms continue to make local people sick. The Aral Sea is situated in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in Uzbekistan, spanning the northwestern portion of the country. Shifting the disaster narrative That their republic became synonymous with a disaster zone hurts the people of Karakalpakstan even more than the loss of their sea. That is why they decided, with help from regional and national governments, to take action in showing the world that there is much more to this land than the Aral desert. This region is the cradle of multiple civilisations, all of whom left their mark. It is dotted with ancient cities, fortresses and Zoroastrian 'towers of silence' built centuries—maybe even millennia—ago. Consequently, it now has some of the world's most fascinating archaeological excavation sites. The 2025 Samarkand Climate Forum, where the leaders of five Central Asian countries and the European Union agreed to strengthen cooperation on green transition and sustainable development, gave Karakalpakstan the opportunity it needed to promote its cultural and environmental revival. A new event was thus launched: the Aral Culture Summit. Related Experts at the Samarkand Climate Forum warn central Asia is getting warmer year after year 'Everything fades, everything disappears eventually—only the stars remain forever.' With these paraphrased verses from poet Ulmambet Khojanazarov, Saida Mirziyoyeva, First Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan, opened the inaugural summit. 'These lines… remind us that while landscapes shift and even seas may vanish, something enduring remains: a sense of hope, resilience, shared memory and meaning. We are here today in Nukus, the cultural heart of Karakalpakstan, not only to reflect on what has been lost but to imagine together what might be revealed,' Mirziyoyeva said. Summit focuses on tourism, innovation and sustainable development The summit hosts a multidisciplinary programme with panel discussions, keynotes, artistic performances and exhibitions addressing key issues such as environmental regeneration, creative economy and cultural diplomacy. It brings together local and international activists, artists and scientists to explore and implement ecological, social and cultural strategies for the sustainable development of Karakalpakstan. Among the guests was Ivana Živković, Assistant Secretary-General of the UNDP. 'I think it is a wonderful idea, and for that reason UNDP is supporting this event. UNDP has been present in Karakalpakstan since 1997, working closely with communities—from bringing clean water to supporting afforestation efforts to prevent soil erosion and environmental and health damage. Innovation and new approaches are key to supporting this region,' Živković said. Tourism and investment potential highlighted Tourism is designated as one of Uzbekistan's main development priorities, and many summit participants believe Karakalpakstan—with its abundance of historical and cultural assets—can become a key destination. 'There is a lot of interest in the 'kalas'—the more than 40 desert fortresses here,' said Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistan's Tourism Ambassador. 'Some of those have already been excavated, and we're learning more all the time. GIZ, the German development agency, has several projects in eco-tourism around Sudochie Lake, part of the Aral Basin. There are also yurt camp initiatives and a workshop in Chimbay where visitors can watch traditional yurt-making and have lunch.' Even the Aral Sea disaster itself is becoming a unique point of interest. ADVERTISEMENT 'There's a small focus on disaster tourism. Many people want to visit the Aral Sea and what's left of it—like the ship graveyard in Moynaq. But the aim is shifting—not to look at destruction, but to learn from environmental mistakes and understand the broader issues of climate change,' Ibbotson said. The summit's broader agenda includes digital development, youth empowerment, reforestation, land erosion prevention, water management and climate-resilient agriculture. The event is set to take place every 18 months, with the next edition planned for mid-2026.
Euronews
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Experts at the Samarkand Climate Forum warn central Asia is getting warmer year after year
ADVERTISEMENT Central Asia is getting warmer year after year, running out of water and, consequently, food, delegates at the Samarkand Climate Forum have been told. The Climate Forum, a regular annual event, was a follow-up to the Central Asia-European Union Summit, which elevated the cooperation between the EU and Central Asia regions to the strategic level. The participants were of the highest level: presidents of five Central Asian countries and the presidents of the European Council and European Commission. Having already discussed cooperation and investment in green transition and water management in the previous event, the speakers focused on concrete projects of saving Central Asia from becoming a desert. Opening the forum, the host, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, defined the problem Central Asia faces in very clear terms. 'Climate change is inextricably linked to food and energy security. Fertile lands are rapidly decreasing while the region's population is growing, and in 25 years from now, it can surpass 100 million people. Today, over 20 percent of the land in the region is exposed to degradation. In a quarter of a century, crop yields may decrease by a third.' Central Asia cooperating with the EU However critical the threat, experts note that cooperation with the European Union and its long-running food safety and innovation programs will increase the odds in the fight against the climate disaster. 'I believe it is vital for us to combine our scientific potential to increase the adaptation capacity of our forestry and agrarian sectors, as well as strengthen food security as part of the HORIZON EUROPE Program,' Uzbekistan's president said. Shavkat Mirziyoyev said. The leaders of the EU, President of the European Council Antonio Costa and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, not only agreed but also reaffirmed the EU's commitment, pointing out that the EU is already heavily involved in tackling climate-induced problems of Central Asia. 'Today, Central Asia and Europe have agreed to enter a new strategic partnership. Climate security and the protection of our nature will have a central place in this strategic partnership. First, Europe wants to work alongside you in adapting to a changing climate," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Second, together we can also speed up the global transition to clean energy. Last year, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan joined our global pledge to double energy efficiency and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030,' von der Leyen added. For his part, EU council president, Antonio Costa, said, 'Today, together with the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, we reaffirm our commitment to elevating the Central Asia-European Union relations to a strategic partnership". "A strategic partnership that will pool European resources, expertise, and technology in favour of a deeper cooperation with Central Asia on climate action, water management, energy security, green development, and sustainability. This is the way forward. This must be a central part of our common future.' In this photo released by Uzbekistan's Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, right, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, pos AP/Uzbekistan's Presidential Press Office Fighting climate change in Central Asia The European Union is already fighting the effects of climate change through development projects in the region. For instance, the EU is creating a new green belt in the Aral Sea basin, bringing life back to what is now a salty desert. And this is helping Central Asia's farmers adapt to a drier climate, using technology to save water and monitor its usage. ADVERTISEMENT This is the same transition that many farmers in the European Union are also going through. Those same European farmers are now exploring innovative solutions, for instance, by using our satellites to monitor the soil and adopting new genomic techniques with climate change-resistant plants. On a more industrial level, the EU is investing in clean energy across this region, including the record-breaking Rogun dam in Tajikistan and the Kambarata dam in Kyrgyzstan. They will generate enough energy not only for their two countries but also to export across Central Asia. 'They will power up new strategic industries, for instance, to process raw materials. They will help electrify our transport corridors—we have been discussing this today—and produce clean hydrogen that could be sold abroad. This is truly of mutual benefit. It is good for our energy independence, it is good for our trade, and of course it is good for our common planet, for climate and the protection of our nature', von der Leyen said. ADVERTISEMENT The leaders of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan listed the projects and ideas that may benefit from the increased funding and know-how transfer. This photo released by Uzbekistan's Presidential Press Office offers a view of the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarka AP/Uzbekistan's Presidential Press Office They ranged from creating a regional water usage strategy to planting millions of trees to fight desertification (something that Uzbekistan is already doing). A number of meetings were held with different stakeholders, some of them warning that the alarm bells rang out too late but most of them leaving hopeful. 'The most important thing to see was the commitment of all the countries and collaboration with the EU. ADVERTISEMENT The presence of the heads of states and the presence of the leadership of the EU and the development banks is critical. It is the evidence that the stakeholders are ready to act and are ready to collaborate', said Anacláudia Rossbach, the executive director of UN-Habitat. There are few places more appropriate for a venue of an environmental awareness event than the Aral Sea. It is a harrowing example of what people can do to the very places they live in. Once the fourth-largest lake on the planet, this lush water world spans across 68,000 square kilometers. ADVERTISEMENT People swim in the Amu Darya River, near Muynak, Uzbekistan, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Ebrahim Noroozi/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved. Fed by the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers, it was not only the habitat of dozens of species of wildlife but also supported local fishermen who were able to catch 60,000 tons of fish every year. Then, in 1960, the Soviet Union decided to turn the region into a cotton-growing hub. Watering as much as 7 million hectares of fields took a lot of water from the two rivers, and the Aral Sea began to recede. Both cotton and the Soviet Union are now part of history, but the agricultural land is still expanding, and the sea is drying out. Compared to its old self, it is now a pond of just 8,000 square kilometers with salinity so high that it has become nearly devoid of life. The whole region suffers from a lack of water, with resources decreasing steadily. As recently as five years ago, there were armed conflicts between some of the countries in the region over single wells or rivulets. ADVERTISEMENT At the Samarkand Climate Forum, they were sitting together, hosting EU leaders and discussing joint projects to avert the disaster.
