For Immediate Release
Press Release
Astana, Kazakhstan, May 22, 2023 – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is leading an expedition to the dried bottom of the Aral Sea for a group of international development representatives and government officials to visit several afforestation projects in the region, including the USAID Oasis, currently under development. The expedition will provide participants with first-hand observations of the ecological and environmental challenges facing Aral Sea restoration efforts.
The Aral Sea is a well-known case study on water over-extraction as the water volume has shrunk nearly 10 times from its original size in 1960. The environmental devastation in the region has decimated the ecosystem and negatively impacted local communities who used to depend on the Sea for fishing and now are subject to frequent sand and dust storms that affect humans and livestock alike.
The expedition is the first of two USAID-organized events organized over the week to draw increased attention to the Aral Sea devastation and to foster more dialogue and knowledge sharing among the various organizations working in the region. A donor coordination conference, scheduled for May 25-26 will bring together Kazakh government officials and international donor organizations to review past and present Aral Sea projects for determining best practices and increasing cooperation among the various initiatives in the region.
Located 50 kilometers from Karateren in western Kazakhstan, the USAID Oasis is a demonstration site where USAID is testing black saxaul under various growing conditions to determine the shrub’s viability as a species to help revive the local ecosystem. The Oasis was launched in 2021, in collaboration with the Executive Directorate for Saving the Aral Sea (ED-IFAS) in the Republic of Kazakhstan, who provides on-the-ground expertise to the project.
Environmental Restoration of the Aral Sea I (ERAS-I) is a component of USAID/Central Asia’s Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity, a five-year, multi-level governance approach to strengthen regional capacity to manage shared water resources and mitigate environmental risks in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins.
Key events for the expedition and donor coordination conference:
May 21-24: Visits to Aralsk, Barsakelmes, Akespe, and USAID Oasis sites
May 25-26: Donor coordination conference in Kyzylorda
The expedition and donor coordination conference will include representatives from the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the akimat of Kyzylorda, representatives of national and international NGOs, and officials from the donor community, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme.
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USAID’s Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity strengthens regional capacity to manage shared water resources and mitigating environmental risks in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya river basins. The Activity takes a multi-level approach to tackling complex regional water challenges by strengthening collaboration through stakeholder dialogues; developing a shared vision for integrated and sustainable river basin management using evidence and modeling; and fostering collaborative action across sectors and governance levels.
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USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID’s work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstrates American generosity, and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience. For more information, visit: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional and USAID’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/USAIDCentralAsia.