Astana, Kazakhstan: Five Central Asian States have agreed to work jointly and raise the issue of decaying Aral Sea at global level.
The summit which took place on August 24 ended with joint press conference of presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The Aral Sea is a decaying lake which was one of the four largest lakes on earth is shrinking with every passing day.
Situated between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Aral Sea was the largest source of sweet water to arid lands of Central Asia in past .
Drainage basin of Aral Lake includes areas of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Iran.
Aral Sea started shrinking after Soviet government diverted rivers that fed it for irrigation system which was developed to meet heavy demand of usage of water for cotton growing areas.
President of five central Asian states decided to work on distribution, accounting and monitoring of water.
“We defined new priorities and tasks here. The solution of these issues is of fundamental importance for ensuring the sustainable development and prosperity of Central Asia. Therefore, all this requires from us coordinated joint actions. For my part, I want to assure you that Kazakhstan has been and remains a consistent and reliable partner in the issues of regional cooperation,” said Kazakh President Nazarbayev.
