Special Seminar on the international cooperation of the Small Aral Sea was held.
- Mar., 26, 2025
- Notice
On March 19, 2025, Arid Land Research Center (ALRC), Tottori University (TU), held the Special Seminar on "Efforts for Saving the Aral Sea through International Cooperation: Past, Present and Future". The program was done with the participation of totally 10 students, researchers, faculties of the university as well as the public. They actively discussed during the seminar. The detailed program is shown below:
-Program
15:00 Opening Remarks by Jiro Iida (Associate Professor, ALRC, TU)
and Tetsuro Chida (Associate Professor, Nagoya University of Foreign Studies (NUFS), Project Leader)
15:15 Keynote Lecture by Dr Nicolai Aladin (Zoological Institute, RAS)
16:00 Field Research Report by Tetsuro Chida (NUFS)
16:30 Break
16:40 Research Report by Haruna Kuraishi (PhD cand., the University of Tokyo/JSPS Research Fellow DC2)
17:10 Report by Dr Marat Narbaev (Vice-director, International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea
in Kazakhstan)
17:40 Discussion and Q&A
In the opening remarks, Associate Professor Iida pointed out the role that the Arid Land Research Center plays in the conservation of the Aral Sea, as well as the effectiveness of a comprehensive cooperative approach. He also noted that, compared to 20 years ago, Kazakhstan is a country that keep its words, but that there is still much room for strengthening social capital. After Associate Professor Chida explained the purpose of the seminar and the brief biographies of the attendees, Dr. Nikolai Aladin shared the history of the Aral Sea research, which dates back to the 19th century, and his own 45 years of experience since 1980, and emphasized the importance of data maintenance and also presented his future prospects. Associate Professor Chida introduced the results of a survey of villages around the Aral Sea that was carried out in February 2025, and reported on the current situation, including the fact that fishing and livestock farming were being carried out despite the severe drought and water shortages, and that processed fish products were being exported to Europe. Ms. Kuraishi presented a case study on the different approaches taken by each country towards compliance with the international agreements related to the international river, the Syr Darya. Dr. Narbaev, Deputy Director of IFAS, gave an overview of the international organization IFAS and introduced successful projects, emphasizing the results achieved in water management of the Syr Darya, ecological conservation of the Small Aral Sea and improvement of the livelihoods of the local population.
During the Q&A session, questions were asked about how to maintain the water level of the Aral Sea, whether the water level has dropped to the extent that people had to move away, the impact of drought on livestock farming, the scale of livestock lost due to drought and dzhut, how to balance food security and the conservation of the Aral Sea, the relationship with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the impact of recent international affairs on support for the Aral Sea. There was also a lively exchange of opinions on the need for a comprehensive approach to the conservation of the Aral Sea, including the fields of history, biology and hydrology; the importance of the “soft” aspects such as trust and cooperation; the need for cooperation with neighboring countries to resolve disputes over water; the effectiveness of regional economic development in the conservation of the Aral Sea; and the need to strengthen cooperation with the ALRC on the issue.
Prof. Chida reports the current situation of the Small Aral Sea.
Group photo, including the speakers from Russia and Kazakhstan
