On April 22, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in a meeting of the Council of the Heads of Founder States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS).
The event, chaired by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, was also attended by President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
The leaders signed the Astana Declaration and adopted decisions on the declaration of March 26 as the International Day of the Aral Sea, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, and the election of the President of Uzbekistan as President of the Fund for 2027–2029.
The results of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of IFAS for 2023–2026 were summarized, and an exchange of views took place on key issues related to improving the environmental, water management, and socio-economic situation in the Aral Sea basin.
In his address, the President of Uzbekistan noted that the Fund remains a unique regional organization, whose role and significance continue to grow amid climate change and increasing water consumption, contributing to rising water stress in Central Asia.
“According to expert estimates, the water deficit in the Aral Sea basin could almost double – to 20 billion cubic meters per year by as early as 2040. This would pose additional risks to drinking water supplies, the environment, agriculture, energy production and social stability,” Mirziyoyev noted.
President Mirziyoyev stated that Uzbekistan intends to transform the Fund into one of the key drivers of regional integration. In this context, he outlined the priorities of Uzbekistan’s chairmanship of IFAS, which will begin next year.
Mirziyoyev expressed hope for the resumption of Kyrgyzstan’s full-fledged participation in IFAS activities, which will contribute to the adoption of more balanced and long-term decisions by the Fund.
The President of Uzbekistan called for synchronizing the IFAS agenda with the decisions of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia.
The need to enhance the effectiveness of the Fund’s programs and projects was emphasized. In this regard, it was proposed to incorporate key performance indicators into the monitoring of the implementation of the fourth Aral Sea Basin Program, which will help track progress, identify bottlenecks, and attract additional funding and technical assistance from international partners.
The importance of utilizing existing financing instruments for the Fund’s priority programs was also noted. In particular, it was proposed to consider expanding the mandate and geographical scope of the UN Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region to cover the entire Aral Sea basin.
The President of Uzbekistan also proposed to launch a regional “Water of the Future” program, a key component of which will be practical training for farmers and manufacturers in the use of modern water-saving technologies.
Mirziyoyev noted the importance of strengthening constructive engagement with Afghanistan and its involvement in regional cooperation on climate, ecology, agriculture, and water management.
In the long term, he said, it is necessary to establish a regional legal framework for the distribution of water resources, taking into account the rights and obligations of all countries in the Aral Sea basin, including Afghanistan.
In conclusion, the President of Uzbekistan expressed hope for support in implementing initiatives to declare the period from 2026 to 2036 as the “Decade of Practical Actions for the Rational Use of Water in Central Asia”.
Photo: president.uz
