Geopark "Aral": Joint Expedition of Scientists and Regional Experts

      On May 22–24, 2025, Kyzylorda Region, Aral District – Staff of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS) participated in a three-day international expedition along the routes of the ARAL GEOPARK: “Aralsk–Mergensai–Chinki–Akespe–Aralsk”, “Aralsk – Kokaral dam – Lake Kambash – Aralsk,” and to the Barsakelmes State Nature Reserve.

      The event was organized by the Aral Office of the Representative Office of the Executive Directorate of IFAS in the Republic of Kazakhstan, in cooperation with local executive authorities. In addition to Kazakhstan, specialists and scientists from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Germany, and Russia also took part.

     The main goals of the expedition were to highlight the potential of the geopark as an innovative platform for the sustainable development of ecological tourism, scientific research, and international cooperation. The expedition, together with the international scientific-practical conference “GeoPark Aral – a growth point for the region: from geoheritage to a sustainable future” held earlier in Aralsk, served as a foundation and important steps toward obtaining UNESCO Global Geopark status for the ARAL GEOPARK.