BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 15
By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:
The Uzbek government has allocated 100 billion soum ($9.7 million) for the creation of protective forest plantations on the dried part of the Aral Sea, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan.
The figure has been revealed during the fourth meeting of the steering committee of the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea Region, held via online videoconference on July 14.
The conference was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov and UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan Helena Fraser.
"The planting of saxaul (haloxylon aphyllum) and tamarix (tamarix hispida) at the bottom of the Aral Sea should help to keep the growing layer of sand and salt formed at the dry bottom of the sea," the message said.
During the event, new projects of the Fund such as construction of a multidisciplinary hospital in Muynak district and support for implementation of a number of innovations in Uzbekistan worth $12.4 million were approved.
Established in November 2018 under the auspices of the UN, the fund plans to raise $123.2 million over five years to increase jobs, improve social and environmental conditions in the Aral Sea area, which is home to more than two million people.
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