Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 1
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
A summit of heads of the states that founded the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) is scheduled to be held on Aug. 24 in the Turkmen resort of Avaza, Altyn Asyr TV channel reported.
Turkmenistan is the chairman of the IFAS.
A concept has been formed, which includes the adoption of a new program of action for provision of assistance to the countries of the Aral Sea basin, the implementation of a regional action plan for environmental protection as a single environmental program of the Central Asian countries.
The Aral problem has affected the north of Turkmenistan. Its Dashoguz region has been adversely affected by the environmental disaster, serious problems arose there in regard with providing the population with drinking water, combating salinization of cropland. The salt dust from the Aral Sea covered Turkmenistan and reached even its capital at the end of May this year.
Regional media report that a salt sand storm came from Uzbekistan from the Aral region. Reportedly, the dust particles contained nitrogen fertilizers, which accumulated for decades at the bottom of the Aral Sea.
Established in the 1990s by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, IFAS aims to finance joint projects and programs to save the Aral Sea and improve the environmental situation in the Aral Sea region.
IFAS was granted an observer status in the UN General Assembly in December 2008. Ashgabat put forward earlier an initiative to develop a special UN program for the Aral Sea.