Kazakhstan is set to assume the chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) for the next three years, starting in 2024, QazMonitor reports citing the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, elected as the President of IFAS until the end of 2026, will oversee the leadership role.
IFAS, comprising Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, focuses on collaborative interstate environmental and scientific-practical programs and projects. These initiatives aim to address environmental challenges in the Aral Sea region.
Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, affirmed the commitment to enhance cooperation with Central Asian countries, international organizations, and financial institutions. Upcoming plans include launching the second phase of the project for the preservation of the Northern Aral Sea in collaboration with the World Bank. He emphasized that preserving the Aral Sea requires joint efforts from all founding states of the IFAS.
