On November 9, 2022 a working meeting of the Executive Board of IFAS in Kazakhstan and the UN Multi-partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea Region in Uzbekistan was held.
The working meeting was attended by:
From Executive Board of IFAS in the Republic of Kazakhstan: Narbaev M.T. – Head of Water Resources Department; Zadneprovskaya M.A. – Head of Ecology Department; Asylbekova Z.A. – Head of Socio-Ecological Issues Department;
from the UN Multi-partner Trust Fund participated: Ms. Rusyan Jill Mamiyit – PhD, Development Cooperation Specialist on Partnership and Development Financing; Mr. Uktam Abdurakhmanov – Head of the Technical Secretariat; Mr. Tulkun Karimov – External Relations and Public Affairs Specialist of the Technical Secretariat, Ms. Natalia Pak – Program Development Specialist of the Technical Secretariat; Mr. Shukhrat Umarkhojaev – Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the Technical Secretariat.
Mr. Uktam Abdurakhmanov’s presentation covered the activities of the UN Multi-partner Trust Fund for Human Security in the Aral Sea Region of Uzbekistan, current projects, national priorities and projects in the Aral Sea Region and perspectives of cooperation with international partners.
Ms. Maria Zadneprovskaya’s presentation was devoted to the ongoing and prospective projects in the Kazakh part of the Aral Sea region.
Mr. Marat Narbayev’s presentation reflected three main factors affecting human security: First is the quality of water resources along the Syrdarya River, where, at the Kokbulak border gauging station along the Syrdarya River the water is already coming in polluted. At the same time downstream the city of Shardara with 75 thousand population and other cities use water from the Syrdarya for drinking purposes. The second factor is the dust and salt storms rising from the dried bottom of the Aral Sea, which have a particularly strong impact on human health in a radius of 120-150 km from the former sea. The third is the problems with healthy diet among the population of the Aral Sea region.
Besides, Narbayev M. mentioned about the Nukus Declaration of 1995 where the Heads of Central Asian states had approved earlier signed and acting agreements, treaties and other normative acts regulating interrelations on water resources in the Aral Sea basin and take them to be steadily implemented. Unfortunately, implementation still deserves much more attention.
Following the results of the working meeting, the participants agreed to sign the Memorandum of Understanding and develop cooperation.
