22-28 June 2025, Uzbekistan — Representatives of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), together with the national delegation of Turkmenistan, participated in a study tour organized by the NGO “Ynanch Vepa” in cooperation with GIZ and with the support of the UNDP/GEF Aral Sea Basin Project in Turkmenistan, titled “Conservation and Sustainable Management of Land Resources and Ecosystems of High Natural Value in the Aral Sea Basin for Multiple Benefits.”
The study tour aimed to facilitate knowledge exchange, strengthen regional cooperation, and enhance Turkmenistan’s national capacities in the rational use of land and water resources, as well as in climate change adaptation in the Aral Sea region.
Participants of the study tour. Photocredit to IFAS.
Beginning on 23 June, the delegation visited the office of the International Water Management Institute and held a working meeting with experts from the Scientific-Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (SIC ICWC) — one of the structural bodies of IFAS. A key highlight of the visit was the tour of the Laboratory of the Republican Center for Agrochemical Analysis under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, where participants were introduced to advanced technologies and methodologies in agrochemical research. The programme continued with visits to SANIIRI, the Central School for Water Management, and the so-called “Green University” — leading institutions engaged in professional training and innovation in the water sector. Later that evening, the delegation travelled to Nukus.
Participants of the study tour visiting SIC ICWC. Photocredit to trip organizers.
In Nukus, the delegation visited the local branch of the IFAS Executive Committee and became acquainted with Uzbekistan’s efforts to address the consequences of the Aral Sea environmental crisis. A visit was also made to the International Innovation Center for the Aral Sea Region (IICAS) under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Uzbek colleagues presented their achievements in the restoration of degraded lands, control of soil erosion, desertification, and mitigation of salt and dust storms.
Participants also visited demonstration plots of UNDP-supported projects in Uzbekistan. Of particular interest was the tour of a water-saving demonstration site at the Water Management School in the Nukus district, which showcased modern drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, techniques for water reuse, effective flushing of saline soils, and optimization of irrigation infrastructure.
The programme concluded in Urgench with a visit to the headquarters of the Amu Darya Basin Water Management Organization (BWO Amudarya). Here, participants were introduced to practical examples of efficient water resource management, including channel concrete lining technologies, the use of geomembranes, and other innovative engineering solutions. The visit also included a tour of the “School for Water Managers and LA-BUIS.”
This study tour represented a significant contribution to strengthening regional cooperation among IFAS member States and advancing the resilience of ecosystems in the Aral Sea Basin through knowledge exchange and the promotion of integrated natural resource management approaches.
The event supports the achievement of:
Priority Area No 5 of REP4SD dedicated to SDG 15: “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems” |
5.1.1 integration of the ecosystem approach for climate change adaptation at the strategic, programmatic and project levels to improve cross-sectoral collaboration (and sectoral plans) and ecosystem protection, restoration and sustainable management. |