Ecology - The Times Of Central Asia

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Ecology

China to Help Kazakhstan Plant Artificial Forests on the Aral Sea

On July 23, Kazakhstan’s minister of ecology and natural resources Erlan Nysanbayev met scientists from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to discuss the creation of artificial forest plantations on the dried base of the Aral Sea. Following a proposal to establish a joint Kazakh-Chinese center to resolve environmental issues on the Aral Sea, the Chinese scientists will visit the Kyzylorda region to closely examine work being undertaken on the dried sea base. Spanning across Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea was once the fourth largest inland body of water in the world, covering 68,000 km². The destruction of the Aral Sea first dates back as far as the U.S. Civil War, when, finding his supply of American cotton under threat, the Russian tsar decided to use the sea’s tributaries to irrigate Central Asia and create his own cotton bowl. With 1.8 million liters of water needed for every bale of cotton, the water soon began to run out. By 2007, the Aral had shrunk to one-tenth its original size. Up until the late-1990s, the land surrounding the Aral Sea was still cotton fields; today, it’s largely an expanse of salinized grey emptiness. The desiccation of the landscape has led to vast toxic dust-storms that ravage around 1.5 million square kilometers. Spreading nitrates and carcinogens, these storms – visible from space – used to occur once every five years, but now strike ten times a year. According to reports, Kazakhstan intends to plant saxaul shrubs on 1.1 million hectares of dried-up sections of the Aral Sea by 2025. Through joint efforts of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the region's administration, 544,500 hectares of saxaul have been sown over the past three years, with a further 275,000 hectares to be planted on the former seabed this year. Wind-borne salt and dust cause significant damage to areas adjacent to the Aral Sea and their inhabitants. Every year, over 100 million tons of salt, dust, and sand are blown from the bottom of the former Aral Sea and mixed into the air.

New Measures to Boost Agriculture in Uzbekistan

On May 10, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was presented with proposed adaptations in agricultural practice and the more efficient use of land in the light of climate change. In Uzbekistan, 3 million hectares of pastural and agricultural land have been now degraded, and approximately 2 million hectares, salinized. According to experts, by 2030, water resources in the region are at risk of diminishing by almost 6 percent as a direct result of climate change. In response, Uzbekistan has developed a national program, for which over $294 million is anticipated in grant funding, to adapt agriculture to climate change and mitigate its impact. The initiative aims to improve the condition of 1 million hectares of agro-ecological landscape and degraded pastures in the Aral Sea region. Protective forest belts will be created in Karakalpakstan, as well as in Khorezm, Bukhara, and Kashkadarya regions and drought-resistant plants such as licorice, rose hips, and sesame, cultivated in areas where water is scarce. A center will be established to analyze and forecast climate change, and agrometeorological stations installed in five regions of the country. In cooperation with Italy, a further center with a nursery will be built for intensive seed cultivation alongside a farm for plants resistant to drought and salinity. Since the need to preserve water is particularly acute in areas surrounding the lower reaches of the river Amu Darya, subsidies are to be allocated for laser-leveling land in Karakalpakstan. Grain and rice producers will be reimbursed up to 100 percent of the fuel costs required to level land using a laser level, in a move to increase yields and reduce water consumption by 15-20 percent. The program also encourages farmers to build more greenhouses. In recent years, the spread of greenhouses has increased 2.6-fold, and the volume of produce grown in such, has more than tripled. The greenhouse sector currently provides 80,000 thousand permanent jobs and a further 70,000 seasonal posts. To increase the efficiency of greenhouse farms, the program proposes to reimburse greenhouse owners 50 percent of the costs of hiring qualified foreign agronomists, as well as up to 20 percent of the costs of coal heaters.

Ecology

Global Ecological Connectivity Partnership Launches in Uzbekistan

The Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity (GPEC) — a major new initiative to ensure that areas that are important to migratory animals are identified, protected and connected — was launched on February 14th on the margins of the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) is an environmental treaty of the United Nations that provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory animals and their habitats. Amy Fraenkel, the executive secretary for the CMS, commented: “The launch of this new global partnership is a direct and immediate response to some of the key recommendations of the flagship CMS report, the State of the World’s Migratory Species, released just two days ago at the opening of the conference. The report calls for increased actions to identify, protect, connect and effectively manage important sites for migratory species. This is exactly what this alliance is about, as it will ensure that actions to address ecological connectivity are mobilized around the world. GPEC's objective is to ensure that ecological connectivity is maintained, enhanced, and restored in places of importance for migratory species of wild animals. But ecological connectivity is not just relevant to migratory species. It also plays a major role in addressing effective biodiversity conservation, land restoration and climate change mitigation and adaptation across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems". Aziz Abdukhakimov, the minister of ecology, environmental protection, and climate change of Uzbekistan, added: "Nature does not recognize man-made boundaries. Uzbekistan is acutely aware of this fact, as evidenced by the devastating effects of the Aral Sea's depletion on humans and wildlife across Central Asia and beyond. By contributing to the CMS Global Ecological Connectivity program, Uzbekistan is participating in a worldwide effort to protect migratory species. This collaboration underscores Uzbekistan's belief in the power of nature to unite nations, necessitating a collective effort to protect it."

Ecology

Endangered Fish Species in the Amu Darya Basin May Disappear Due to Hydropower Plants

The 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is being held this week in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The international environmental coalition Rivers Without Boundaries is calling on conference participants to pay serious attention to how the rampant construction of dams and reservoirs across Central Asia is leading to population declines and the complete extinction of endangered (red-listed) species. Rivers Without Boundaries experts point to the long-suffering Amu Darya river basin as an example: the alteration of its flow as a result of reservoirs and dams that change the hydrological regime and block fish migration routes was the most important reason for the Convention on Migratory Species to take under its protection the large Amu Darya sturgeon, a unique sturgeon adapted to live in the fast and turbid waters of the Vakhsh, Pyandj and Amu Darya. Its close relative, the Syr Darya sturgeon, is already considered extinct by most experts, due to the creation of numerous dams and reservoirs on the Syr Darya and its tributaries. Nevertheless, as experts from the Rivers Without Boundaries coalition emphasize, the recent World Bank assessment of the environmental impact of the construction of the Rogun hydropower plant in the Amu Darya basin does not consider the state of populations and the possible impact of changes in river flow on rare species of fish in the lower Vakhsh and the Amu Darya itself. Another example cited by ecologists is the Aral salmon (listed in the Red Book of Tajikistan), which once migrated along the Amu Darya and the Vakhsh, but since the creation of the Tuyamuyun hydro system and the Vakhsh group of hydropower plants has now completely disappeared from the area. Scientists found a last grouping of Aral salmon in the Nurek reservoir, but this too is likely to disappear as a result of the construction of the Rogun hydropower station upstream, as this will simply leave the salmon with no rivers in which to spawn. "Despite the requirements of national legislation regarding environmental impact assessment and protection of rare species, in all Central Asian countries, rivers - as well as their valleys, and the fauna and flora that depend on their ecological health - are massively sacrificed to the implementation of poorly justified hydraulic engineering projects," points out Evgeny Simonov, the international coordinator for Rivers Without Boundaries. "To date, when designing and building most dams throughout the region, no one is seriously trying to prevent damage to populations of rare migratory species." "Refusal to consider the potential impacts of hydropower plants on rare migratory species and natural ecosystems is not only a gross violation of international environmental conventions, but also often contradicts the environmental policy of those development banks that are going to lend money to build reservoirs," emphasizes Alexander Kolotov, Central Asia coordinator of the Rivers Without Boundaries environmental coalition. “We hope that the discussions during the conference in Samarkand will lead to the introduction of more responsible approaches to the selection of sites...

Ecology

Uzbekistan’s Rare Ancient Trees Cut Down Illegally Once Again

Illegal tree felling has been reported in Uzbekistan again, with one of the country's rare and ancient types of tree -- the "Chinar," also known as an Old Sycamore or Oriental Plane (platanus orientalis) -- falling victim. Six of these trees were cut down without a permit. This particular incident occurred in the Andijan region, as reported by the press service of the regional department of ecology. The prosecutor's office has already initiated a criminal case under the relevant articles of Uzbekistan's criminal code. The incident occurred despite the fact that the country has had a moratorium in place on cutting down valuable species of trees and shrubs since 2019. However, developers persistently ignore the laws.

Nature Ecology

Forest Nurseries Created In Turkmenistan

Two forest nurseries have been created in Turkmenistan's Kopetdag State Reserve. One of the nurseries, two hectares in size, is located in the Kopetdag Mountains; the other, smaller site is in the Gyavers oasis area near the Karakum desert. The trees were planted as part of a joint ecology project between the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and the Turkmen Ministry of Environment. The young forests will eventually contribute to restoring Turkmenistan's forest resources, which is an important part of the country's efforts to make its industrial sectors more sustainable. Forest nurseries grow and breed saplings and trees, as well as forest plants. The nurseries in Kopetdag and by the Karakum will also house nut and berry orchards, where pistachio, almond, hawthorn, blackberry, and cherry trees will be grown. Expanding forested areas in mountainous parts of Turkmenistan is an effective way to reduce the impact of water erosion and prevent dangerous mudflows. It is also an important step in conserving biodiversity and preserving unique ecosystems. Forest nurseries additionally contribute to improving yields from agricultural pastures, which in turn improves the welfare of local farmers.