Tragedy of the Aral Sea

The tragedy of the Aral Sea is a very dramatic event, recognized by the international community as a global crisis
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Aral Sea Basin

The Aral Sea basin includes the basins of two main rivers - the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya. The total average annual flow of these rivers is 116 km3. This volume includes 79.4 km3 of Amu Darya flow and 36.6 km3 of Syr Darya flow
Find out more

Tragedy of the Aral Sea

The tragedy of the Aral Sea is a very dramatic event, recognized by the international community as a global crisis
Find out more

Aral Sea Basin

The Aral Sea basin includes the basins of two main rivers - the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya. The total average annual flow of these rivers is 116 km3. This volume includes 79.4 km3 of Amu Darya flow and 36.6 km3 of Syr Darya flow
Find out more

Tragedy of the Aral Sea

The tragedy of the Aral Sea is a very dramatic event, recognized by the international community as a global crisis
Find out more

Aral Sea Basin

The Aral Sea basin includes the basins of two main rivers - the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya. The total average annual flow of these rivers is 116 km3. This volume includes 79.4 km3 of Amu Darya flow and 36.6 km3 of Syr Darya flow
Find out more

About IFAS

IFAS was established in 1993 by the Heads of State of Central Asia in order to overcome the environmental crisis and improve the socio-economic situation in the Aral Sea basin, recognized by the world community as one of the largest disasters of the 20th century. In 1993, the heads of states of Central Asia created the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) and approved the Regulations on IFAS.

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The President

Tokaev Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea

14 06 2024
IFAS SUMMITS

The Council of the Heads of the IFAS Founding States on the Problems of the Aral Sea Basin is the supreme body of IFAS.

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14 06 2024
The Aral Sea Basin

The area of the Aral Sea basin covers about 700,000 square kilometers and includes Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, most part of southern Kazakhstan, and the northern part of Afghanistan. It is a kingdom of high mountains, dry steppes, semi-deserts and deserts.

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14 06 2024
The Aral Sea

The Aral Sea in its original form was located in the Northern desert part of Central Asia, within Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and covered an area of 68 km2 with a volume of 1053 km3.

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14 06 2024
Water resources

Located in the heart of Central Asia, the Aral Sea basin includes the basins of two major rivers: the Amu Darya and Syr Darya.

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14 06 2024
Use of water resources

The use of water resources in Central Asia, mainly for drinking water and irrigation, began more than 6,000 years ago.

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14 06 2024
Flora and fauna

In former times, the unique isolation of the Aral Sea basin contributed to the development of such a richness and diversity of biota, which could be compared with Africa.

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News

18 09 2024
А meeting of the Board of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea

Astana, 18 September 2024 – The capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan hosted a meeting of the Board of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) under chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.Bozumbaev.

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Events

04 06 2025
Visit of CAREC Executive Director B. Mamedov to the Office of the Executive Committee of IFAS

On June 4, 2025, the newly appointed Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC, Almaty), B. Mamedov, visited the office of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS).

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Events

03 06 2025
Тhe 14th meeting of the Working Group (WG) on improving the organizational structure and legal framework of IFAS

On June 2–3, 2025, the 14th meeting of the Working Group (WG) on improving the organizational structure and legal framework of IFAS was held in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan. The event was organized at the initiative of Executive Committee of IFAS and with the support of the Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP) of the World Bank.

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Events

01 06 2025
Visit to Ramit Gorge as Part of the High-Level International Conference on the Preservation of Glaciers

On June 1, 2025, as part of the cultural programme of the High-Level International Conference on the Preservation of Glaciers (Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan), the Chairman of the Executive Committee of IFAS, Mr. A. Orazbay, along with the staff of the Executive Committee, visited the Ramit Gorge, located on the southern slope of the Gissar Range, in the upper reaches of the glacial-fed Kafirnigan River.

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Events

31 05 2025
Meeting Between EC IFAS Chairman and Head of Tajikistan’s Environmental Committee on the Sidelines of the Dushanbe Conference

On May 31, 2025, on the sidelines of the High-Level International Conference on Glacier Preservation held in Dushanbe (May 29–31 this year), Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS), A. Orazbay, met with Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, B. Sheralizoda.

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Events

04 06 2025
Visit of CAREC Executive Director B. Mamedov to the Office of the Executive Committee of IFAS

On June 4, 2025, the newly appointed Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC, Almaty), B. Mamedov, visited the office of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS).

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Events

03 06 2025
Тhe 14th meeting of the Working Group (WG) on improving the organizational structure and legal framework of IFAS

On June 2–3, 2025, the 14th meeting of the Working Group (WG) on improving the organizational structure and legal framework of IFAS was held in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan. The event was organized at the initiative of Executive Committee of IFAS and with the support of the Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP) of the World Bank.

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Events

01 06 2025
Visit to Ramit Gorge as Part of the High-Level International Conference on the Preservation of Glaciers

On June 1, 2025, as part of the cultural programme of the High-Level International Conference on the Preservation of Glaciers (Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan), the Chairman of the Executive Committee of IFAS, Mr. A. Orazbay, along with the staff of the Executive Committee, visited the Ramit Gorge, located on the southern slope of the Gissar Range, in the upper reaches of the glacial-fed Kafirnigan River.

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Events

31 05 2025
Meeting Between EC IFAS Chairman and Head of Tajikistan’s Environmental Committee on the Sidelines of the Dushanbe Conference

On May 31, 2025, on the sidelines of the High-Level International Conference on Glacier Preservation held in Dushanbe (May 29–31 this year), Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS), A. Orazbay, met with Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, B. Sheralizoda.

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Press releases

03 05 2024
Mission of EC IFAS

The IFAS Executive Committee is a permanent body of the Fund and is created by a decision of the IFAS President and is located on a rotation basis in the country presiding over the IFAS.

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Press releases

02 05 2024
History of the creation and development of IFAS

On June 23, 1990, an appeal to the peoples of Central Asia and the first Joint Statement by the leaders of the countries of Central Asia was announced in Almaty, where the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea region was first recognized as an acute problem in the region. In 1992, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N. Nazarbayev addressed the Heads of State of the Central Asian countries should join efforts to mitigate the negative impact of the drying up of the Aral Sea on the environment and the population of the region.

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From sea to desert...

Tragedy of the Aral Sea

The Aral Sea basin crisis is a very dramatic event of our time. In the recent past, the Aral Sea was a unique natural object - a brackish lake-sea with a volume of 1083 km3 and an area of 68 thousand km2, with high biological productivity and a unique world of living organisms.

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Astana, st. E-179, building 1, position 40

+7 7172 248098

office@ecifas.kz

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR SAVING THE ARAL SEA © 2025