Aral Sea: The Uzbek government has approved a list of 31 projects aimed at mitigating the the consequences of the environmental disaster that has all but destroyed the Aral Sea. The projects, which are to be implemented over the next three years and whose cost are estimated at over $3.05bn, include the construction of two combined-cycle plants, the modernization of the Amu-Bukhara canal and the reconstruction of sections of the Guzar to Beineu highway. They also include the development of shelterbelts on the dried bottom of the Aral Sea, of high-yielding horticulture plantations, and of water supply systems. The Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, the World Bank, JICA, OPEC Fund for International Development, (OFID), Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) , K-Water (South Korea), UN agencies and others will take part in the co-financing of the projects.
Over the past 50 years the total river flow into the Aral Sea has fallen by around 450% while its water surface area has shrunk by 800%. TREND