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Turkmenistan proposes to set up UN special program to save Aral Sea

Turkmenistan Materials 23 June 2012 13:17 (UTC +04:00)
Without solving the problems of the Aral Sea it will not be possible to fulfill the tasks of sustainable development in Central Asia, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said, speaking in Brazil at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20, local media reported on Saturday.
Turkmenistan proposes to set up UN special program to save Aral Sea

Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, June 23 / Trend H.Hasanov /

Without solving the problems of the Aral Sea it will not be possible to fulfill the tasks of sustainable development in Central Asia, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said, speaking in Brazil at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20, local media reported on Saturday.

"Another very serious problem is saving the Aral Sea. Without its solution it is difficult to talk about the implementation of sustainable development in Central Asia," the President was quoted as saying.

In his opinion, the Aral Sea today is a disaster zone, whose effects directly affect the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of people, have a negative impact on economic, social and environmental situation in the region.

"It is clear that the activities of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), the efforts of Central Asian states at the national level today are inadequate and require the support of the international community," Berdimuhamedov said.

In this regard, he believes, a comprehensive international approach, and the active system participation of the UN are required. In this regard, Ashgabat proposes to develop measures that could be carried out as a separate direction of the UN.

"We suggest to call it a special UN Programme for the Aral Sea, which should reflect the specific plans for the stabilization and improvement of the situation," the head of Turkmenistan said.

In general, given the wide range of environmental problems in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region, particularly in the context of climate change, it is believed to strengthen multilateral cooperation.

To do this, Turkmenistan proposes to establish, in cooperation with the UN, a specialized structure - Interregional Center to address issues related to climate change. Ashgabat is ready to provide for its work all the necessary infrastructure.

Created in the nineties by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan IFSA is aimed at financing joint projects and programs to save the Aral Sea and improving the ecological situation in the Aral Sea.

Speaking of Turkmenistan, the Aral problem has affected the north of the country. Dashoguz region suffered the negative effects of environmental catastrophe, urgent problems related to the provision of clean drinking water and fight against salinization of arable land emerged here.

On December 11, 2008 IFSA was granted observer status at the UN General Assembly.

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