The drying out of the Aral Sea is one of the gravest environmental catastrophes in human history. It has had severe implications for the environment and the climate in the region, as well as for the health and development of the more than 60 million people living in the Aral Sea Basin.To strengthen the cooperation in the Aral Sea Basin in order to mitigate the consequences of this environmental catastrophe, UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach is visiting Urgench, Uzbekistan, on 28-29 October. He participates in the International Conference organised by the Uzbek Chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS).
During the visit, Mr Bach signed a letter of intent with the chairman of the Executive Committee of IFAS to indicate continued UNECE support in areas such as water quality conservation, the safety of dams, the management and exchange of information on water resources and the environment.
“With this letter of intent, UNECE reconfirms its commitment to assist EC IFAS in finding solutions to the environmental and other challenges in the Aral Sea Basin, on the basis of international law and with respect to the interests of all countries of the region. Sustainable solutions to these acute problems can only be achieved with the full engagement of all the countries of Central Asia and through strong partnerships with international organizations and donors”, he said.
The multi-year Programme of IFAS is a regional action plan to alleviate the environmental and socio-economic consequences of the Aral Sea disaster and to facilitate progress towards integrated water resources management and sustainable development in the Aral Sea Basin. It covers:
· integrated water resources management;
· environmental protection;
· socio-economic issues and institutional;
· legal strengthening of water management in the region.
The programme is expected to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, improve preparedness to address new challenges, including climate change, and foster integrated water resources management at the national, river-basin and regional levels.
For further information on the engagement of UNECE in water cooperation in Central Asia please visit: http://www.unece.org/env/water/centralasia.html
or contact:
Mr. Bo Libert, UNECE Regional Adviser on Environment
Tel.: +41-22-917 23 96
E-mail: [email protected]
Note to editors:
The International Fund for saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) was established in early 1990s by five Central Asian States — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — to implement in a coordinated way the practical measures and programmes to overcome the impacts of the Aral crisis and to improve environmental and socio-economic conditions in Aral Sea Basin.