International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea

On 23 June 1990 the Central Asian leaders issued a joint statement in Almaty, Kazakhstan, acknowledging the environmental crisis regarding the Aral Sea, calling for collective action to restore ecological balance. This led to the creation of an inter-republican commission and the foundation of the Fund to assist the affected populations. Two years later President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan called on regional leaders to unite in stopping the Aral Sea's shrinking. On 4 January 1993 the Nazarbayev, President Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmonov, President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan, and President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan assembled in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The leaders discussed key issues posed by the Aral Sea such as price policies, communication development, energy supply, and the environmental challenges. Establishing shared concerns and interests, the members adopted a collective approach to address the Aral Sea crisis. This initiative was formalized in the joint communiqué of the Heads of State of Central Asia. On 26 March 1993 the Agreement on Joint Actions was signed in Kyzylorda, which officially established the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS). Nazarbayev was elected as the first president of the Fund. == Mission ==

IFAS aimed to ensure equitable distribution of water resources among the Aral Sea Basin countries while addressing ecological rehabilitation and economic challenges. Preliminary efforts included restoring delta ecosystems, slowing desertification from the exposed seabed, and reducing salt and dust storms that had devastating regional and global impacts. IFAS also serves as a hub for collaboration, facilitating research, securing international funding, and fostering partnerships with global organizations to support sustainable development goals. Additionally IFAS works on capacity-building programs for regional stakeholders, strengthening water management capabilities through training and research. == Structure ==

's chairmanship at IFAS of the same year The Council of Heads of State of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea is the highest governing body of IFAS. This Council formulates and recommends policies to align the region's economies with its natural resource potential. It endorses intergovernmental legal and regulatory acts, establishes common principles for the management, use, and protection of water resources across the region. It also regulates intergovernmental relations related to water management and environmental protection activities. Meetings of the Council of Heads of State, IFAS Summits, are held during the chairmanship of each founding state of the Fund, where key decisions are made on vital regional issues concerning water resources, environmental protection, and the socio-economic situation in the Aral Sea basin. The leadership of IFAS is rotated every three years among the Presidents of the Central Asian states. == Aral Sea Basin Programs ==

The IFAS has employed several initiatives to address the environmental, social, and economic challenges arising from the Aral Sea crisis. These manifest as the Aral Sea Basin Programs (ASBPs). Four are planned or have been implements from 1995 to 2030. The programs take a comprehensive approach to improving water resource management. They encourage sustainable agricultural practices, restoring degraded ecosystems, emphasize reducing water losses, advance water-conservation technologies, and strengthen institutional cooperation. Other efforts focus on reforestation projects like planting saxaul trees, wetland restoration, which should revitalize local economies impacted by the decline in fisheries and agriculture. In 1997 when the preparatory phase tasks were completed, a review of the program's progress was conducted by the Central Asian countries in concert with international organizations, resulting in suggestions for the second phase. Its total budget of approximately $2 billion. Projects were selected from a pool 335 proposals, which were clustered into forty-seven priority projects. == Further reading ==