Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed a meeting of the Council of Heads of Founder States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) in Astana, presenting key directions for the country's upcoming chairmanship of the organization, which transitions to Uzbekistan starting next year. This chairmanship positions Uzbekistan to take a leading role in addressing regional environmental challenges, though it comes amid persistent ecological and water management issues in the Aral Sea basin.
In his speech, Mirziyoyev emphasized the need to continue improving the Fund's structure and legal framework based on existing foundations, ensuring clear distribution of powers among its bodies. He stated, "The regional working group established for these purposes has already held 15 meetings. Problems in the Fund's activities have been analyzed, and its tasks and functions have been more clearly defined. Now it is necessary to coordinate the structure, regulatory framework, and financing mechanisms, taking into account the interests of all our countries."
The president supported proposals to expand the powers of IFAS bodies, enhance their status and responsibility. He also expressed hope for the resumption of full participation by the brotherly Kyrgyz Republic in IFAS activities, which he claimed would contribute to more balanced and long-term decisions by the Fund, highlighting ongoing regional tensions over water resources.
Special attention was given to increasing the effectiveness of the Fund's programs. Dozens of projects are being implemented under the fourth Aral Sea Basin Program, but, according to the president, clear indicators are needed to assess their effectiveness and attract additional funding. As tools, it was proposed to more actively use the platform of the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea region and consider expanding its mandate to the entire Aral Sea basin, reflecting challenges in securing international support.
A separate set of initiatives focuses on strengthening IFAS interaction with regional structures in water-energy cooperation, ecosystem preservation, and climate change adaptation. Specifically, joint projects with the Center for Combating Desertification were proposed. The president also stressed the need to form a new water-use culture, proposing the launch of a regional "Water of the Future" program aimed at training farmers and industrialists in modern water-saving technologies and introducing principles of rational water use at all education levels, amid concerns over inefficient practices.
Additionally, the importance of involving Afghanistan in regional cooperation on ecology, water resources, and agriculture was noted. The necessity of attracting international donors for infrastructure projects and developing a common legal framework for water resource distribution in the Aral basin in the future was emphasized, pointing to geopolitical and financial hurdles in the region.
Source: kun.uz