Uzbekistan proposes creation of UN-led trust fund for Aral Sea
TASHKENT. Sept 26 (Interfax) - Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov has called for broader action for dealing with consequences of the shrinking of the Aral Sea at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York City.
The text of the minister's speech delivered on September 25 was published on the Uzbek Foreign Ministry website on Saturday.
"Considering the planetary nature of the Aral catastrophe, joint efforts need to be expanded and targeted fiscal mechanisms need to be formed. With this in mind, it would be expedient to create a special trust fund for the Aral Sea and the Aral littoral zone under the aegis of the United Nations," the minister said.
The primary objective of this fund should be coordination of efforts and implementation of targeted programs and projects in a number of key areas, among them healthcare and genetic conservancy, a system of efficient stimuli to boost socioeconomic development of the Aral Sea area and worthy living conditions in this region, he said.
A direct consequence of the shrinking of the Aral Sea is the dramatic climate change that has happened both in Central Asia and other regions, Kamilov said. The drying of the Aral Sea has created a new salt desert of 5.5 million hectares. Sand storms hit the area 90 days a year carrying over 100 million tonnes of dust and poisonous salt to thousands of kilometers.
