Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Aral Tourism Week has started in Karakalpakstan. As part of the week, on 17 April, the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Goodwill Ambassadors of the Aral Sea Region” began its work in Nukus.

The event brought together representatives of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, the Jokargy Kenes Committee of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the Central Asian University for the Study of the Environment and Climate Change (Green University), the International Innovation Center of the Aral Sea region, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), UNDP, Research Institute Hydrometeorology, Research Institute of Forestry, Research Institute of Environment and Environmental Technologies, Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, higher educational institutions of the country, international organizations and the media.

“Modern global problems associated with environmental pollution, climate change and inefficient use of natural resources require a focus on sustainable development, the training of new types of specialists and experts in the field of ecology and environmental protection, as well as the introduction of innovative approaches to solving problems,” - Deputy Minister of Ecology Jusipbek Kazbekov said in his welcoming speech. “The international scientific and practical conference “Goodwill Ambassadors of the Aral Sea region” is aimed at applying new knowledge and conducting interdisciplinary research to support national, regional and international innovative systems in the field of ecology, environmental protection, environmental management and sustainable development in this region,” added J. Kazbekov.

During the conference, participants got acquainted with reports on the ongoing work in the Aral Sea region, the role and importance of afforestation of the drained bottom of the Aral Sea, water problems in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River and ways to solve them, prospects for the development of sustainable tourism in protected areas of the Aral Sea region, and other reports.

“President Shavkat Mirziyoyev set the task of creating 100 thousand hectares of forest plantations on the drained bottom of the Aral Sea this year. We have already created 156 thousand hectares of forest plantations. Some of them were created by sowing seeds with the help of aviation, and we are also planting seedlings in the spring season of this year. For these purposes, we also plan to create an International Center for Growing Seedlings and Forage Plants,” said the head of the laboratory of the Forestry Research Institute, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Zinovy Novitsky.

“In addition, in Karakalpakstan we are developing a new direction - beekeeping. We have already created more than 2 thousand hectares of tamarisk plantations. Let me note that from one hectare of flowering tamarisk you can produce 50 kg of honey. Therefore, starting this year, we will develop beekeeping on the dried bottom of the Aral Sea,” added Z. Novitsky.

For information: during 2018-2023, 1 million 730 thousand hectares of forest plantations were planted at the bottom of the Aral Sea, which led to the greening of 17 thousand square kilometers. In 2024, it is planned to establish forests on a total area of 150-200 thousand hectares.