ASTANA – The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources plans to plant 1.1 million planting materials on a drained part of the Aral Sea by the end of 2025, reported Kazinform news agency.
Photo credit: Central Asian Journal of Water Research. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana
In March 2024, approximately 80 volunteers planted 5100 saxaul saplings on the dried seabed.
According to Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nysanbayev, Kazakhstan produces one million seedlings annually. Establishing a nursery on the dried Aral seabed will require nearly four million seedlings.
“The salt dust storms which appear due to the drying of the Aral Sea harm the region’s agriculture. Therefore, it is important to cover the drained bottom with vegetation. This will reduce the spread of salt-laden sand to the nearest regions,” said Nysanbayev.
In December 2023, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev urged the international community to increase financial support for the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea during the World Climate Summit.
