A virtual roundtable discussion has taken place on the results of the two expeditions of the Scientific-Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia (SIC ICWC) on the drained bottom of the Aral Sea, held within the framework of a joint program funded by the UN Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea region in Uzbekistan.

The SIC ICWC expeditions were conducted in two stages with the involvement of representatives of the International Innovation Center for the Aral Sea Region under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as with the participation of specialists in ecology, soil science, hydrogeology, dendrology, botany. The total coverage of the research area was 1.2 million hectares.

Monitoring and analysis of the soil of the dried sea made it possible to identify unstable ecological zones and draw up maps of risk areas. The dynamics of the formation of the soil cover were studied, the assessment and classification of the soil were carried out, and a soil map was formed. Implementation of scientific and field studies of the state of forest plantations made it possible to assess the dynamics of afforestation.

Simultaneous remote observations and GIS maps based on them and collected data developed using GPS made it possible to assess not only the change in landscapes but also to develop approaches for more accurate space monitoring of the state of forest cover in the future.

As it was announced at the roundtable discussion, obtained data provide scientists with a unique opportunity to study the process of formation of natural landscapes on the drained bottom. The completion of the research covering the remaining 1.5 million hectares will allow summarizing data of previous monitoring and creating a geographic information system of the drained seafloor, which will serve as a reliable basis for further work on the introduction of environmental innovations in this area. 

Following the expeditions, it is planned to strengthen the institutional infrastructure and technical skills of specialists in afforestation.

O. Kharchenko, UzA