Joint Scientific Expedition Launches to Revive the Aral Sea’s Ecological Environment
In an ambitious move to tackle the ecological challenges besieging the Aral Sea, a collaborative scientific expedition has commenced in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This pioneering initiative aims not only to study the pressing ecological crisis but also to foster green innovation and cooperation within the region.
The Uzbek Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change, Abdukhakimov Aziz Abdukaxarovich, opened the event by acknowledging the significant support from the Chinese government towards scientific collaboration between the nations. The minister highlighted the expedition’s critical scientific and socio-economic implications for the Aral Sea region and its inhabitants.
Emphasizing the shared commitment to ecological restoration in the Aral Sea area, the Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Yu Jun, remarked on the integral role of these efforts as part of the broader China-Uzbekistan and China-Central Asia cooperation. The ambassador pointed out that this collaborative endeavor has been repeatedly endorsed in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks, reflecting a unified stance at the highest levels of leadership.
Zhang Yuanming, leading the charge from the Chinese side as the director of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), detailed the expedition’s scientific goals. The team of Chinese scientists, in collaboration with experts from Uzbekistan, Russia, and beyond, intends to conduct in-depth field studies across the Aral Sea’s desiccated lakebed. These studies will cover diverse areas such as biodiversity, soil characteristics, hydrology, and geomorphology to unravel the complexities behind the sea’s ecological deterioration.
Ambitious in scope, the expedition seeks to draft a “roadmap for restoration and green development for the Aral Sea,” offering a beacon of hope for revitalizing the area. Shakhlokhon Turdikulova, Vice President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, acknowledged China’s valuable contributions and expertise in large-scale environmental management and restoration, which could greatly benefit Uzbekistan’s efforts in the region.
The ongoing expedition, spanning from August 24 to September 5, is a hallmark of international collaboration, spearheaded by the XIEG of the CAS. This initiative has seen inputs from scientists across Uzbekistan, Russia, and other nations, propelling forward the mission for ecological recovery in the Aral Sea region.
Chronicled efforts by the institute since 2013 include the implementation of groundbreaking green innovation technologies. These efforts range from the development and promotion of water-efficient agriculture to the introduction of salt-tolerant plant species, aimed at mitigating the harsh impacts on the basin’s ecological environment. Furthermore, the establishment of an initial ecological environment monitoring network presents a significant stride towards understanding and addressing the ecological imbalances in the basin.
This collective endeavor signifies a remarkable step forward in the quest to understand and ultimately reverse the ecological degradation of the Aral Sea, aligning scientific inquiry with practical, sustainable development goals.
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