s it possible to save a ‘dying’ sea and reverse the clock? Perhaps not. However, a wind of change picking up in the North Aral region has shown that where there is a will, there is a way.

The near death of the once mighty Aral Sea, described by the United Nations Development Programme as “the most staggering disaster of the Twentieth Century,” not only impacted the climate and ecosystem of the Central Asian region, but also affected the health, livelihood and social life of its residents.

Great disasters require greater efforts to mitigate the damage and instill the spirit of hope and recovery. Never before had the five neighbouring countries worked together with one goal – to save the degrading environment and improve water management in Central Asian.

With the dawn of January 2024, Kazakhstan has embarked on a crucial three-year leadership of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, signifying a monumental task ahead. The IFAS includes land-locked countries (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) from where two great Central Asian rivers, Amu Darya and Syr-Darya, flow.

Nestled in the heart of a dynamically developing Central Asia, Kazakhstan is eager to shoulder the responsibility as processes for strengthening and expanding intra-regional partnerships unfold. In a remarkable collaboration, the international partners of the IFAS now include the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the European and Asian Environmental Associations.

Before delving into the details of IFAS’s mandate, one must understand the environmental and geo-political history of the region.

Aral – the sea that was

About half a century earlier, Aral Sea was the world’s fourth largest freshwater lake, covering an area of 68,000 square kilometers and providing livelihood to millions of people who relied on its waters for fishing, agriculture and transportation.

Lying between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the lake used to be called the Sea of Islands. It is said that more than 1,000 islands once dotted its waters. It began shrinking in the 1960s when the former Soviet Union decided to make Central Asia its cotton hub, diverting the two great rivers, Amu Darya and Syr Darya, that had fed the Aral Sea. Canals were built to increase the production of cotton, rice and other food crops, syphoning off unsustainable quantities of water from them. This led to the drying up of the Aral Sea. It is said that the irrigation projects took so much water that sometimes no river water reached the Aral Sea.

Dry tears of Aral

The formation of the Aralkum (Aral Desert), following the severe desiccation of the what used to be Aral Sea created what may be regarded as one of the world’s most significant anthropogenic dust sources.

This destroyed thousands of square kilometers of surrounding land. Rising salinity affected the land to such an extent that animals that ate grass or vegetation grown in the area would die. The locals call these salt deposits “the dry tears of Arals.”

A study at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) and Institute of Meteorology at the Freie Universität, Berlin, showed that dust and salt from the Aral Sea can could reach South Asia, affecting human health and soil all the way.

As the lake lost more and more water, the Aral Sea split into North and South. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the northern part of the lake came under Kazakh and southern part under Uzbek control.

Realising the enormity of the water crisis, the independent Central Asian states had to take drastic measures. Gradually, tension started building up among the newly independent states over the issue. However, it was no solution. They had to act and the time was running out.

Formation of the fund

On January 4, 1993, the heads of states of the Central Asian Republics met in Tashkent and decided to create a body that would discuss and resolve the issues related to Aral Sea basin. On March 26, 1993, the Interstate Council on problems of Aral Sea Basin (ISAS) was formed and regulations for the IFAS were approved. Their main aim was environmental rehabilitation and socio-economic development of the Aral Sea region.

The IFAS’s primary objective is to address challenges in the basin of Kazakhstan’s segment of the Aral Sea, focusing on improving environmental and social conditions while spearheading projects in water, environment protection and socio-economic sectors.

In 1995, with help from United Nations, the Central Asian leaders again met in Nukus, a semi-autonomous region in Uzbekistan, one of the hard-hit areas in the Aral basin and agreed on a Charter of Change regarding the water issue.

The primary objective of the IFAS is to address challenges in the basin of Kazakhstan’s segment of the Aral Sea, focusing on improving environmental and social conditions while spearheading projects in water, environment protection and socio-economic sectors.

The IFAS acts as a collaboration, partnering with international organisations, donors, private businesses and investors to tackle environmental issues and usher in sustainable development in the Aral Sea region.

United, the Central Asia has become a focus of interest for major global powers such as the United States, China, Europe and Russia. The region is seen as a unified economic zone. Prominent summits involving the Central Asian Five leaders, along with their counterparts from the US, the EU, China and Russia, underscore its significance.

Kazakhs take the lead

Today, the North Aral Sea in Kazakhstan has been revived, with water and economy returning to the region. However, the South Aral Sea remains dry.

Kazakhstan, wielding greater economic prowess among the five nations and enjoying global prestige, is now at the forefront to leverage its influence and broaden the scope of the IFAS.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s recent initiative to establish a new Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has added further momentum. The creation of this ministry holds promise for targeted solutions to water sharing issues and enhanced cooperation within the IFAS framework.

Tokayev underscores the ministry’s core mission - ensuring environmental and water security while fostering collaboration with neighbouring Central Asian countries, recognising the shortcomings of a decade-long history of scattered efforts and uncoordinated actions.

The emerging landscape presents tangible opportunities for the IFAS participants to craft a unified code on water use, considering the unique interests of each country. Since Kazakhstan holds the chair of the organisation, its Ministry can undertake this task, thereby enhancing cooperation in water management in Central Asia.

In tackling the Aral Sea crisis, the heads of IFAS founding states united to form a formidable front. Despite geopolitical differences among neighbours, the five states have consistently found common ground on the ecological agenda.

As the looming global water resources deficit demands collective solutions, the heads of Central Asian states recognise the inevitability of joint action. They have been directing their governments to expedite improvements to the IFAS’s organisational structure.

Trans-boundary water diplomacy

To meet its fresh water demand, Kazakhstan relies on rivers that originate across the borders. The situation is not unlike what Pakistan faced after India sough to stop canal and river water flows across the boundary. The Indus Water Treaty negotiated with the World Bank help can be a model for water distribution and use among Central Asian countries.

The complex process necessitates a comprehensive study of similar issues with the aim of creating a model tailored to the unique needs of the Aral Sea basin.

The latent potential of the IFAS is yet to be realised. Against the backdrop of global ecological changes, the role and importance of the IFAS are set to burgeon. Against this backdrop, South Asian nations, such as Pakistan, can share their expertise and experience with the Central Asian states.

This is a good reason among others to strengthen relations with Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, which is rich in natural resources, particularly oil, gas and metals. Together with Russia, the country is working on a North–South Corridor to find access to the Persian Gulf.

The critical concerns in the region include the construction of the Qosh Tepa Canal in northern Afghanistan, which has sparked a debate regarding its potential environmental ramifications. While Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan grapple with the implications, Pakistan can be a pivotal player in navigating the complexities of this issue.

The Aral Sea, once a symbol of environmental degradation, can be a testament to a commitment to sustainable development and cooperative solutions. Kazakhstan’s impending chairmanship in this international organisation holds the promise of elevating both the authority and effectiveness of the IFAS, not only benefiting Central Asia but also the broader Asian region.

To quote Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Nurzhan Nurzhigitov: “This year we plan to begin the second phase of the project to preserve the Northern Aral Sea, implemented together with the World Bank. Saving the Aral Sea is a task that can only be accomplished through joint efforts of all IFAS founding states. In the next three years, we intend to achieve significant results in this direction.”

The writer is a journalist and author of The Ameer is Dead