Re-greening Uzbekistan's desertified Aral Sea region

euronews (in English)

In this episode of Focus, we look at a project to reverse the desertification of the region where the fourth largest lake in the world used to lie.

Transcript

00:00 In the 1960s, this semi-desert area was underwater and formed part of the Aral Sea.

00:07 At the time, it was the fourth largest lake in the world, but now it's just a tenth of its former size.

00:13 In the Soviet era, one of the worst environmental tragedies was perpetrated

00:17 when the rivers that fed into it were diverted to irrigate fields.

00:21 We're driving away from the town of Munach, which once stood on the lake,

00:25 and into Aral-Kham desert that's replaced it.

00:28 And we're going to visit a government program to grow plants that can reverse the desertification.

00:33 Over a million hectares have already been covered with these plants.

00:37 One of them is called black saxle and is renowned for its hardiness

00:41 and its ability to withstand drought for long periods.

00:44 They stop the salt and the sand from being whipped up into the air and carried by the wind to populated areas.

00:50 Plants hold the soil with their roots, keeping salt and sand on the ground.

00:57 These plants emit oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.

01:02 This is also a positive effect.

01:06 Each year, sandstorms kick up more than a hundred million tons of dust and pollutants,

01:14 such as fertilizers and pesticides, from where the bottom of the Aral Sea used to be.

01:20 Now black saxle acts as a shield.

01:24 Saxle serves as a mechanical obstacle.

01:31 One such saxle plant can retain one ton of toxic sand and salt.

01:36 If it weren't for all this, this would have risen into the air and been carried over long distances.

01:44 When the Aral Sea disappeared, not only did local people lose a fishing industry

01:49 that had supplied the Soviet Union with a sixth of its fish supply,

01:52 they also suffered health problems from the toxic dust in the air.

01:56 The sea had irrigated a desert where cotton and other crops could be grown,

02:00 but as it did, it steadily shrunk.

02:04 In just half a century, only 10% of the sea is left, and the water continues to drain.

02:13 What remains has been compared to Israel's Dead Sea,

02:17 one of the saltiest bodies of inland water in the world.

02:22 Here it is, the edge of the constantly disappearing western Aral Sea.

02:31 The salt concentration is so high here that there is no more fish left.

02:38 The edge of the water is now 150 kilometers away from Munak, which was once a thriving port city.

02:45 One project that aims to rehabilitate the region is called My Garden in the Aral Sea.

02:51 This green patch of woodland is located just a few minutes' drive from Munak.

02:56 The goal is to plant one million trees.

02:59 Ash, elm, willow and catalpa trees have all been chosen for their drought resistance and hardiness.

03:05 Slowly, the desertification is being reversed.

03:09 Our task is to restore the ecosystem of this region so that such oases are created in other settlements.

03:21 The goal is to help counteract the spread of salty sand and prevent soil erosion.

03:27 Three weather stations will also be built in Munak district,

03:33 which will help monitor the re-greening process.

03:36 It`s been partly paid for by USAID, United States Government Aid Agency.

03:40 The data from these weather stations will be used by farmers to know when to better plant their crops,

03:47 as well as the scientific community and the governments on how to address environmental challenges in the Aral Sea region.

03:55 In 2018, the UN Aral Sea Trust Fund was created.

03:59 And to date, it`s raised $60 million with Uzbekistan and the EU being the largest donors.

04:05 The goal is to have a common strategy for the Aral Sea region.

04:09 The fund has implemented a lot of projects.

04:12 The main area is health care and a lot of work has been done to provide the population with drinking water,

04:18 agriculture, the efficient use of water resources and gardens.

04:22 The fund supports local vulnerable citizens by helping them grow animal feed using a hydroponic system that doesn`t need soil.

04:30 It`s allowed Aijan Borabayeva to successfully grow plants for her sheep at home in summer and winter.

04:36 The soil outside is salty and difficult to grow on.

04:41 In the hydroponic system, wheat grows well and can save space.

04:50 These solutions are not just appropriate to the Aral Sea region,

04:53 they can also be adopted in other parts of the world that are suffering from desertification.

04:58 (upbeat music)

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