Executive Committee of the International Fund
for saving the Aral Sea

Expedition for young specialists and scientists in the Syrdarya river basin

On 19 May 2022, the expedition for young professionals and scientists from the countries of Central Asia started. The expedition began its work from the sources of the rivers – the zone of formation of the flow of the Syrdarya river basin and will end in the Aral Sea, on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

It is organized by the Executive Committee of IFAS with the support of the USAID WAVE regional program, based on the decision of the IFAS Board on 29 June 2021, in order to promote regional cooperation by familiarizing young scientists and specialists from relevant departments of Central Asian countries with the ecological, social and water management situation, as well as the consequences of the negative impact desiccation of the Aral Sea and climate change on the glaciers and water resources of the region.

The expedition will also provide an opportunity for participants to gain new knowledge and information about the activities of water management and hydropower structures and the operation of facilities.The expedition is attended by young scientists and specialists from the water, energy, environmental and other relevant sectors of the countries of Central Asia, as well as representatives of the Executive Committee of IFAS and other structural divisions of IFAS.

The expedition will last two weeks, and during this period, participants, starting from the Minkush runoff formation zone (Meteorological station) in the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic and ending with the Kokaral dam of the Small Aral in the Republic of Kazakhstan, will be able to visit reservoirs, canals, gauging stations, pumping stations and other key water bodies located on territories of four countries of the Syrdarya basin, including the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The expedition provides young scientists and specialists with the opportunity to visually and closely familiarize themselves with the ongoing activities aimed at ensuring the rational and efficient use of water resources, adaptation to climate change and mitigation of its consequences, as well as the improvement of the Aral Sea region.