The international project “Resurrection Island: Nature Conservation and Development of the Aral Sea Region” is being implemented by the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan together with the University of Oxford (UK), the Saiga Conservation Alliance (SCA), the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, the Research Institute of Tourism Development, as well as JV LLC “Uz-Kor Gas Chemical” and is carried out with the support of the British Darwin Initiative.
The project promotes the creation of a protected area on the former bottom of the Aral Sea in order to preserve the unique biodiversity of this region and develop sustainable sources of income for the local population, including through the development of sustainable forms of tourism (ecological tourism), and also ensures mitigation of the impact on biodiversity through the application of the principle “zero losses for nature”.
On September 11, 2023, a round table was organized in Tashkent to discuss the results of the project and new plans with the participation of representatives of all partner organizations. As part of the extensive agenda, various aspects and directions of project activities were discussed.
Opening the work of the round table, the director of the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Kholmatov, noted that this event provides an opportunity for participants to discuss the problem in order to determine possible ways to solve it, to indicate the presence of a certain position in the implementation of planned actions.
Dr. Khalilulla Sherimbetov, head of the Department of Protected Areas of the Ministry of Ecology of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in his speech, emphasized that the main planned actions for the project have already been completed successfully – the Aralkum National Park has been created and staffed. Currently, the task is to complete the issue of securing land and functional zoning of the territory. He also noted that a network of protected areas has currently been created in Karakalpakstan, covering the entire modern and historical range of the saiga. The Ministry of Ecology faced the task of improving the professional level of employees, and the material and technical base of protected areas, strengthening international cooperation and cooperation in the field of scientific research with national and world scientific centers.
Project Manager – Professor J.W. Bull presented the results of all components of the project working on promoting the creation of alternative sources of income through the development of tourism, the creation of the Aralkum National Park, and reducing the industrial impact on the biodiversity of Aralkum. Joseph expressed satisfaction with the results of the work done this year, emphasizing that the project received a very good assessment, according to independent experts. Bull detailed the upcoming plans for the final year of the project.
During the round table, participants discussed with great interest the current status and prospects for the development of the Aralkum NPP, the results of assessing the biodiversity of Resurrection Island and adjacent territories using camera traps, prospects for the development of ecotourism and areas of interaction with the oil and gas sector.
At the end of the round table, participants noted the importance of cooperation with all stakeholders in the region and beyond to reduce pressure on ecosystems and sustainable use of biological resources.
Joe Bull is pleased with the results of the project
Elena Bykova represents the functional zones of the Aralkum Research and Production Enterprise
Nodira Shaabasova shares ideas on the development of a pilot tour in the project area
Participants of the round table on the implementation of the Darwin Initiative project “Resurrection Island: conservation of nature and development of the Aral Sea region”