Page 5 – The Times Of Central Asia

22 Apr 2026

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Life After the Water: Uzbekistan Brings the Aral Sea Story to Milan

April 22, 2026
By Sadokat Jalolova

Uzbekistan made its debut at Milan Design Week 2026 on April 20, with When Apricots Blossom, an immersive exhibition at Palazzo Citterio exploring how craft and design can respond to environmental crisis. Running through April 26, the project is organized by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), commissioned by its chairperson, Gayane Umerova, and curated by Kulapat Yantrasast, founder of WHY Architecture. It marks the country’s first major presentation at one of the world’s leading design platforms.

At the center of the project is Karakalpakstan, a region in northwestern Uzbekistan that has experienced one of the world’s most severe environmental crises. Over the past six decades, the shrinking of the Aral Sea has transformed the area’s landscape, economy, and way of life. Once a vast inland body of water, the sea has largely disappeared, leaving behind desert, salt plains, and struggling communities.

The Garden Pavilion at Palazzo Citterio, indicative render: Lightweight latticed framework ‘deconstructed yurt’ by Kulapat Yantrasast. When Apricots Blossom, Milan Design Week 2026. Courtesy of ACDF and WHY Architecture

When Apricots Blossom traces this transformation while also looking ahead.

“The Aral Sea is both a cautionary tale and an opportunity to offer a blueprint for other regions facing extreme environmental change,” Umerova said ahead of the opening. She emphasized that design and craft are not separate from these challenges, but part of the response. “They begin with people and knowledge.”

Inside Palazzo Citterio, the exhibition unfolds as a journey through the region’s past, present, and possible futures. The main gallery features an installation of reed-like structures that evoke the landscapes of Karakalpakstan. Within this setting, visitors encounter objects and ideas connecting everyday life with broader environmental questions.

A key focus is on three traditional practices: bread-making, yurt-building, and textile crafts. These are presented not as relics of the past, but as systems of knowledge shaped by generations of adaptation.

Bethan Laura Wood at Palazzo Citterio – When Apricots Blossom – commissioned by ACDF. Image courtesy of ACDF

Twelve international designers have worked with Uzbek and Karakalpak artisans to create new pieces inspired by these traditions. Among them are custom bread trays and stamps (chekich), reflecting the central role of bread in Uzbek culture. Made from materials such as wood, felt, ceramics, and reeds, the works reinterpret familiar forms while remaining rooted in local techniques.

Alongside these contemporary designs are artifacts selected by participants of the Aral School, an international postgraduate program that treats the region as a site for creative and critical exploration. The exhibition also premieres Where the Water Ends, a new film by filmmaker Manuel Correa and architect Marina Otero Verzier, offering a closer look at landscapes and communities shaped by the Aral Sea’s decline.

The main gallery interior, indicative render: Reed-link forms by WHY Architecture. When Apricots Blossom – Milan Design Week 2026. Courtesy of ACDF and WHY Architecture

Together, these elements form a broader narrative about how people adapt to change, not only through technology, but through culture.

The exhibition also serves as a platform to announce the next Aral Culture Summit, which will take place in Nukus from September 11 to 13. Held every 18 months, the summit brings together designers, scientists, and policymakers to explore how culture can contribute to environmental and social regeneration.

According to ACDF, these initiatives are part of a wider ten-year vision supported by the Uzbek government to revitalize the Aral Sea region, with a focus on cultural, economic, and social development.

Beyond the main exhibition spaces, visitors are drawn into the palazzo’s garden, where Yantrasast has created a pavilion inspired by the traditional yurt. Known as the Garden Pavilion, the structure reinterprets the portable homes used by nomadic communities across Central Asia.

Traditional bread stamps (chekich). When Apricots Blossom – Milan Design Week 2026. Courtesy of ACDF.

“The yurt is one of the most honest pieces of architecture ever made,” Yantrasast said. “It was designed to move with its people and respond to changing conditions.”

For the exhibition, he has taken this idea further, creating what he describes as a “deconstructed yurt.” The structure serves as a gathering space for talks, workshops, and discussions, while also symbolizing absence, including the loss of water and ways of life in the Aral Sea region.

“We wanted to open it up,” Yantrasast explained. “To show not only what it holds, but also what has been lost.”

The pavilion will host daily events throughout the week, including demonstrations by Uzbek artisans, such as bread-stamp carving and tassel-making. It will also provide a space for conversations between local practitioners and international designers, linking traditional knowledge with global debates on sustainability.

By placing Uzbekistan at the center of Milan Design Week, the exhibition aims to reach a wider audience and reshape how the Aral Sea is understood.

A Thousand Voices – When Apricots Blossom – by Ruben Saakyan and Roman Shtengauer, commissioned by ACDF – MDW 2026 – Image Credit: ACDF

Rather than focusing solely on environmental damage, When Apricots Blossom highlights resilience, the ability of communities to adapt, create, and endure.

For Umerova, this message is central. “We are sharing the story of Karakalpakstan not only as a history of loss,” she said, “but as a story of creativity and possibility.”

As the exhibition opens this week, it positions Uzbekistan not just as a participant in global design, but as a contributor to ongoing conversations about climate, culture, and the future of communities facing environmental change.

22 Apr 2026

Home, Uzbekistan Environment, Environment, Kazakhstan Environment, Kyrgyzstan Environment, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Features, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan Features, Turkmenistan Features, Features, Turkmenistan Environment, Tajikistan Environment, Kyrgyzstan Features, Kazakhstan Featurees

Astana Ecological Summit Turns Regional Climate Pressure Into a Call for Joint Action

April 24, 2026
By Times of Central Asia

On April 22, 2026, leaders from Central Asia and neighboring states opened the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 in Astana on Earth Day with an urgent and practical message: the region’s environmental crisis is no longer a future risk, but a present constraint on water, food, energy, and economic security.

The summit, held under the theme “A Shared Vision for a Sustainable Future,” was organized by Kazakhstan with the United Nations and international partners. Its stated purpose is to develop policy tools for protecting, restoring, and jointly using ecosystems, water and land resources, and conserving biodiversity in Central Asia. The program includes 58 events, consultations on a possible International Water Organization within the UN system, and expected documents, including a Central Asian declaration on environmental solidarity and a 2026–2030 regional action program.

President Tokayev gives his keynote address at the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana; Image: TCA

Opening the plenary, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev argued that environmental policy must not become another dividing line in global politics. He called for a fair and balanced green transition, especially for developing economies, and warned that Central Asia’s shared rivers, landscapes, and climate risks demand shared responsibility. Tokayev singled out water scarcity, desertification, glacier melt, air pollution and biodiversity loss as the region’s core challenges. He also highlighted Kazakhstan’s plans to expand renewable energy, protect the Caspian Sea, restore the Northern Aral, and start consultations on a proposed International Water Organization.

The water question dominated the speeches. President Sadyr Japarov said that Kyrgyzstan bears a disproportionate burden despite its small contribution to global emissions. He pointed to a sharp increase in mudflows and floods, shrinking glaciers, and the fact that most water formed in Kyrgyzstan flows to neighboring states. His proposal was blunt: downstream users should help co-finance the water infrastructure and ecosystem services that upstream countries maintain.

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev turned the summit into a platform for concrete regional initiatives. In his official speech, he said that Central Asia is warming twice as fast as the global average, has already lost nearly a third of its glaciers, and faces land degradation across 80 million hectares. He proposed a Clean Air consortium, a regional desertification and drought center, a green trade corridor, a unified climate-investment portfolio, an environmental atlas and a Central Asian Red Book.

Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon brought the glacier crisis into sharp relief. Tajikistan supplies much of Central Asia’s water, but its glaciers are retreating, threatening water balance and increasing disaster risks. Rahmon linked the environmental agenda to hydropower, green finance, biodiversity protection, and water diplomacy, and invited partners to continue the discussion at a high-level water conference in Dushanbe.

Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov backed a stronger institutional approach, proposing a UN-supported regional council on water use to align national policies and manage transboundary resources more transparently. He also announced a high-level Caspian Sea ecology meeting in Turkmenistan for October 2026.

Heads of state from beyond Central Asia widened the frame. Armenia’s President Vahagn Khachaturyan stressed climate impacts on agriculture, ecosystems and water security, while calling for finance, science and technology to support emissions reductions and biodiversity protection. Mongolia’s President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh focused on fragile mountain ecosystems, desertification, and future water shortages. Georgia’s President Mikheil Kavelashvili said environmental protection now directly affects national economies and citizens’ daily lives, making green governance and inclusive growth strategic priorities. Azerbaijan’s Prime Minister Ali Asadov added that water security is now a priority on the international agenda, backing Kazakhstan’s proposed UN-supported international water organization and pointing to cooperation among Caspian states on the sea’s declining water level.

The summit’s significance lies less in any single speech than in the convergence of themes: water must be governed jointly; climate finance must reach vulnerable states; and environmental cooperation needs institutions, not just declarations. In Astana, ecological diplomacy became regional statecraft.

22 Apr 2026

Features, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Featurees

How Kazakhstan Is Preparing for Parliamentary Elections

April 23, 2026
By Aliya Haidar

Kazakhstan is preparing for a major political reset centered on the introduction of a unicameral parliament, the Kurultai. Until now, legislative power in the country has been exercised by two chambers, the Mazhilis and the Senate. On April 10, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that elections would take place in August 2026.

According to Tokayev, political parties will have a clear planning horizon and enough time to prepare for the campaign and voter outreach.

A Stage Already Passed

In 2023, Kazakhstan introduced significant changes to its political system. For the first time in 19 years, a mixed electoral model was used in elections to the lower chamber, the Mazhilis. Under this system, 69 deputies were elected via party lists, while 29 were chosen in single-member constituencies, allowing candidates to run independently of party affiliation. This option has now been removed, although the reasons remain unclear.

These reforms were presented as part of a broader democratization effort. In the 2023 parliamentary elections, six parties passed the 5% threshold. Amanat, formerly Nur Otan, won 53.9% of the vote, followed by Auyl with 10.9%, Respublica with 8.59%, Aq Jol with 8.41%, the People’s Party of Kazakhstan with 6.8%, and the Nationwide Social Democratic Party (OSDP) with 5.2%. The Baytaq party received 2.3% and did not enter parliament.

In practice, however, Amanat has remained the most active force in the Mazhilis. Some initiatives from Aq Jol, traditionally focused on business interests, have also stood out, while other parties have been less visible to voters.

Amanat has advantages not available to other parties, including the presence of many senior officials in its ranks. The Auyl party was expected to represent agrarian and conservative interests, but its initiatives have not been clearly articulated. The OSDP, which has long positioned itself as an opposition party, previously claimed it was excluded from parliament. However, once represented in the Mazhilis, its initiatives have largely focused on narrow issues and have had limited impact on the broader political agenda.

The People’s Party of Kazakhstan, once known for raising sharp issues, has been less active in the current parliament. Against this backdrop, Aq Jol has been comparatively stronger, showing a greater ability to shape the agenda and articulate clear positions. Baytaq has occupied an environmental niche, but despite the country’s significant ecological challenges, its voice has remained faint, making its prospects of entering the Kurultai uncertain. Respublica, a new party founded by young entrepreneurs, has also struggled to produce notable results.

A potential eighth party, Adilet, may soon join the seven officially registered parties. The party has announced its launch and begun the registration process, though it has yet to name a formal leader.

Some political analysts have described Adilet as a pro-government party. Political analyst Daniyar Ashimbayev noted that the concept of multiple pro-government parties is not new in Kazakhstan and suggested that some deputies could shift to Adilet by July.

Systemic Criticism

Political parties represented in parliament are regularly criticized by analysts for holding positions that closely align with Amanat on many issues. While some deputies occasionally criticize the government sharply, such criticism often results in limited, case-by-case compromises.

Moreover, many parties tend to reduce their activity between elections, becoming more active only during campaign periods.

In February 2026, Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev stated that Kazakhstan’s party system remains underdeveloped, with Amanat being the only party possessing a strong social base and nationwide presence.

According to Ashimbayev, other parties have limited public support, remain inactive in many regions, and in some cases operate at a minimal level. This weakens their ability to represent citizens’ interests and convey them to parliament and the government. In his view, the transition to a unicameral parliament elected exclusively through party lists could help strengthen Kazakhstan’s political parties.

22 Apr 2026

Environment, Kyrgyzstan Environment, Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan to Build Modern Landfill Using Japanese Waste Disposal Technology

April 22, 2026
By Sergey Kwan

A pilot project to construct a modern landfill based on the Fukuoka Method is planned for the city of Kara-Balta in Kyrgyzstan’s northern Chui region, about 60 km west of Bishkek. The project aims to reduce environmental impacts and support the transition to modern waste management standards.

The Fukuoka Method is a semi-aerobic landfill waste disposal technology developed jointly by Fukuoka University and the city of Fukuoka in the 1970s. It has since become a standard approach for local governments in Japan. By maximizing the aeration of waste, the method accelerates biodegradation and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 20-50%.

The method uses natural ventilation through pipes and leachate collection systems to promote aerobic decomposition of waste. This accelerates stabilization, reduces methane emissions, and improves odor control. It is considered a relatively low-cost solution and is often cited as suitable for developing countries.

On April 21, Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision discussed implementation of the project with representatives of the Asian Development Bank and the Japan Foundation, including grant financing, technical support, and the use of the Fukuoka Method.

The project is expected to reduce soil and groundwater pollution in the area, improve sanitary conditions for local residents, and provide a basis for wider use of the technology across the country.

The transition to modern environmental technologies is seen as important for protecting public health and supporting the country’s sustainable development.

Kyrgyzstan has also introduced Chinese technology for municipal solid waste disposal that generates electricity through incineration.

In December 2025, Bishkek officially inaugurated Central Asia’s first waste-to-energy plant, located at the city’s primary landfill and constructed by Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection Co. Ltd.

22 Apr 2026

Central Asia, Turkmenistan Home, Home, Turkmenistan Life & Culture, Life & Culture, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan Features, Features

Turkmenistan’s Train and Bus Networks Reportedly Failing Passengers

April 22, 2026
By Vagit Ismailov

Overcrowded trains and buses, often carrying passengers without tickets, have long been a feature of life in Turkmenistan, continuing to frustrate residents who rely on intercity transport.

As reported by Chronicles of Turkmenistan, many had hoped for improvements following the dismissal of Deputy Prime Minister for Transport and Communications Mammetkhan Chakyev. However, in the three months since Batyr Annayev was appointed to the role, no meaningful progress has been observed in passenger transport services.

Purchasing train or bus tickets online is possible only 7-10 days before departure. Closer to the travel date, passengers turn to ticket offices, but tickets are typically sold out. Meanwhile, intermediaries offer tickets at prices three to four times higher than official rates.

For example, a train ticket from Ashgabat to the town of Yoloten costs around $8 at official counters, but resellers charge between $26 and $32 for the same ticket. The situation is even more pronounced for Dashoguz: an official seat in a sleeper-class carriage costs about $16, while tickets purchased through intermediaries can reach $58.

Residents of Dashoguz region face the greatest challenges. There are reportedly no buses or taxis available. Only two trains run daily, which locals describe as critically insufficient.

In contrast, buses and taxis operate to the towns of Bayramaly, Turkmenabat, and the city of Turkmenbashi. Nevertheless, trains on these routes remain heavily overcrowded, with passenger numbers exceeding capacity by 1.5 to 2 times. Those unable to obtain tickets online, at ticket offices, or through intermediaries often pay conductors directly. As a result, passengers occupy not only seats and berths but also stand or sit in vestibules, corridors, and even near toilets.

According to the publication, the only noticeable change since Annayev took office has been a ban on carrying traditional Turkmen flatbread and govurma (fried, preserved meat) on international flights. While some restrictions existed previously, eyewitnesses reported that in the early days of his tenure, bins at Ashgabat airport were filled with confiscated food items prohibited from export.

22 Apr 2026

Central Asia, Home, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Home, Uzbekistan Business & Economy, Business & Economy

Uzbekistan Plans $1 Billion for First Two Small Nuclear Reactors

April 22, 2026
By Sadokat Jalolova

Uzbekistan is planning to invest nearly $1 billion in the construction of its first two small reactors as part of an integrated nuclear power plant, according to officials speaking at a major industrial exhibition in Tashkent.

The estimate was announced by the Deputy Chairman of the country’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sukhrob Abdurakhmonov, during the “Innoprom. Central Asia” exhibition, held from April 20 to 22. The event was organized by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade together with Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, local media outlet Gazeta.uz reported.

Abdurakhmonov said the first phase of the project involves the construction of two small reactors, each with a capacity of 55 megawatts. “Even at the initial stage, the project, valued at approximately $1 billion, will require a large volume of high-quality products,” he said during a panel session.

He noted that the scale of the project is expected to push local industries toward higher standards, from electrical equipment manufacturing to construction materials. “We see this as a strong incentive for the modernization of production,” he added.

The nuclear plant is planned for the Jizzakh region, where officials expect the development of a broader economic cluster. According to Abdurakhmonov, the project could stimulate growth in related sectors such as services, transport, logistics, and social infrastructure, creating thousands of jobs and new opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses.

The announcement follows agreements signed in March between Uzatom and Rosatom on cooperation and further steps in the nuclear power project.

Speaking earlier to reporters, Alexey Likhachev said the initiative could also generate significant economic benefits for Russia. He estimated that even a small reactor project in Uzbekistan could bring orders worth up to $22 billion for Russian companies and create around 1,000 jobs.