Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Sept. 22 /Trend D.Azizov/
Uzbekistan has introduced the program on eliminating the consequences of the drying up of the Aral Sea to the UN General Assembly, the press service of Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry reported.
"Program of measures on eliminating the consequences of the drying up of the Aral Sea and averting the catastrophe of the ecological systems in the Aral Sea region, prepared by Uzbekistan as the presiding country of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), was circulated as an official document of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly," the report said.
The press service also said that, the program is supported by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The program underscores that, the tragedy of the Aral Sea is one of the largest global environmental catastrophes in recent history for its eco-climatic, socio-economic and humanitarian consequences and poses a direct threat to the sustainable development of the region, health, gene pool and the future of the people living in this region.
Aral Sea crisis zone directly covers the territories of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and indirectly - the territories of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Since 1990s the region's states have been taking measures to overcome the effects of this environmental disaster, but they can not solve this problem.
Till 1960, the Aral Sea was one of the largest inland water bodies of the world with an area of 68.900 square kilometres and water volume of 1,083 cubic kilometres.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Aral Sea region in April 2010. Following the visit to the region he called the death of the Aral Sea one of the most serious environmental disasters in the world and said that the fight against its consequences is a collective responsibility of the entire world.