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One million hectares of saxaul forest will appear on the Kazakh side of the bottom of the Aral Sea, Tengrinews reports.kz with reference to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.

It is noted that in order to improve the environmental situation, the task has been set to carry out forest reclamation works on the drained bottom of the Aral Sea until 2025 on a total area of 1.1 million hectares by creating saxaul plantations.

"In order to maximize the survival of the saxaul, forest reclamation works are carried out on the basis of scientific recommendations and work projects (mechanized sowing and planting). After all, the Kazakh part of the bottom of the Aral Sea is more saline than on the territory of the Uzbek side. Science has recommended sowing (planting) of saxaul on soils of the third type, halophytic plants (karabak, sarasazan) on soils of the fourth type," the Ministry of Ecology said in a statement.

To create a forest on the bottom of the Aral Sea, soil surveys were conducted on an area of 753 thousand hectares. Planting on the drained bottom of the Aral Sea is provided with an infrastructure for preparing seeds for sowing and cultivation.

"Through the efforts of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the Akimat of the Kyzylorda region, 544.5 thousand hectares of forest have been sown over the past three years. It is planned to plant another 275 thousand hectares this year. Considering that the drainage of the Aral Sea is a global problem, the ministry cooperates with international organizations, including the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), the World Bank, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Korean Forest Service and others," the statement says. the message of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In the summer and autumn of 2021, specialists from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan exchanged experiences on planting saxaul and other trees at the bottom of the Aral Sea. As a result of the visits, a memorandum was signed for closer cooperation in the field of forestry in the Aral Sea region.

For rapid adaptation and high survival of planting material, it is planned to complete the construction of a forest nursery on the bottom of the Aral Sea with an area of 33 hectares in the near future. This nursery will work as a pilot site for the Republican Forest Breeding and Seed Center, where the genetic bank of forest seeds is stored, including saxaul seeds, which will become the main breed of man-made forests at the bottom of the Aral Sea.

Tens of millions of tons of salts and dust are removed from the seabed by the wind every year. They spread over thousands of kilometers. The decision to plant saxaul is not accidental: this plant is unpretentious, survives perfectly in harsh desert conditions. In addition, one such tree can stop up to 4 tons of sand.

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Photo: gov.kz