ASTANA – Central Asian leaders declared March 26 as an International Day of the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers to raise global awareness of the region’s environmental challenges, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at an April 22 summit of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) in Astana.
Presidents of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan attend the summit of the founding states of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea in Astana on April 22. Photo credit: Akorda.
In his remarks, Tokayev warned that environmental threats in the Aral Sea region are intensifying faster than mitigation efforts.
“More than 80% of all water resources are used in agriculture, while losses in irrigation systems remain unacceptably high. In this context, it is necessary to develop coordinated and long-term solutions,” Tokayev said, highlighting that the shrinking of glaciers in the Tien Shan and Pamir mountain ranges also poses serious risks to regional water security.
He noted that temperatures in the region have risen by 2–2.5 degrees Celsius, drought conditions have worsened, and dust storms have become more frequent. Millions of tons of salt and pollutants from the Aralkum desert are carried across vast distances each year, affecting ecosystems and human health far beyond Central Asia.
Strengthening regional coordination
Tokayev emphasized that water issues should be treated as a shared regional and global challenge, calling Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen and Uzbek leaders for coordinated, long-term solutions.
He proposed enhancing the role of IFAS as the central platform for cooperation on water management, environmental protection, and sustainable development. President Tokayev also reiterated his proposal to adopt a regional framework convention on water use aligned with international standards.
“Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have started to automate ten sites in the Syr Darya basin. This experience could be scaled up throughout the Aral Sea basin,” he said, highlighting the importance of digitalizing water management systems, including the introduction of a unified monitoring system for the Syr Darya and Amu Darya river basins.
Progress, ongoing projects and global engagement
Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of IFAS has contributed to expanding cooperation in water and energy sectors, strengthening partnerships with international organizations, and advancing environmental initiatives.
According to Tokayev, more than 30 regional projects are currently being implemented with total funding exceeding $2 billion, aimed at improving environmental conditions and supporting sustainable development in the Aral Sea region.
Tokayev also pointed to progress in restoring the North Aral Sea, where water volume has increased from 18.9 to 23.5 cubic kilometers, supporting fisheries and improving local socio-economic conditions.
Following the summit, participants signed a series of documents, including decisions on Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of IFAS, the election of the fund’s president, and a proposal to designate March 26 as an international day dedicated to the Aral Sea and its river systems.
The Astana declaration was also adopted, outlining a shared vision for strengthening collaboration and ensuring sustainable development across the region.
