The SCO Environmental Information Sharing Platform was approved in Tashkent. The third meeting of heads of environmental protection ministries and agencies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states was held there. Chairman of the Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Zulfukhar Zholdasov proposed a number of initiatives to expand partnerships on environmental issues. One of them is the register of environmental problems of the SCO member states. The head of department noted that its creation will allow collectively solving problems, attracting international donor assistance and investment to finance joint projects. The speaker also informed the attendants about the measures taken by Kazakhstan to improve the environmental situation of the Aral Sea. Saxaul is planned to be planted on a total area of 1.1 million hectares until 2025.
“In order to mitigate the consequences of the ecological crisis of the Aral Sea, it is necessary to plant saxaul on 4.5 million hectares, which will require substantial investments. In this regard, as previously proposed by the Kazakh side, we offer to develop a program for the phyto-forest melioration of the dried bottom of the Aral Sea within the SCO. Dear colleagues, as we mentioned before, we need mechanisms to finance projects on environmental issues to put into effect the objectives set,” said Zulfukhar Zholdassov, Chairman of Committee, Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources.
Translation by Saniya Sakenova
Editing by Saule Mukhamejanova
