As part of the 21st meeting of the Committee to Review the Implementation of the UN Convention on Desertification (CRIC-21), the visit of the UN Secretary General, Executive Secretary of the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Ibrahim Thiaw, accompanied by the Minister of Ecology, Environment and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov to the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The event was also attended by representatives of the UNCCD, the Ministry of Environment, the Forestry Agency, the Department for the Development of Ecotourism and Hunting, the International Innovation Center of the Aral Sea region, as well as foreign media, including Deutsche Welle (Germany), TenGerTV (Mongolia), The Astana Times ( Kazakhstan), MIR TV (Kazakhstan), BBC Uzbekistan, etc. On the first day of the visit in the Muynak region of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the delegation got acquainted with afforestation and landscaping work on the dried-up bottom of the Aral Sea, and also visited a forest planting site (67th kilometer) at the bottom dry part of the Aral Sea, the shore of the Aral Sea (Aktumsyk), an open-air museum and a ship cemetery. Aziz Abdukhakimov told Ibrahim Tiau that a number of reforms are being implemented in our country to green the Aral Sea region and combat desertification. “In subsequent years, on the dry bottom of the Aral Sea, to prevent a global environmental problem, under the leadership of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, large-scale events will be carried out aimed at improving the socio-economic way of life of the local population living here. The government of the country has adopted a number of special resolutions and programs in this direction, in accordance with which practical measures are being taken to improve the environmental situation in the region,” said Minister of Ecology Aziz Abdukhakimov. “The main problem is the frequently recurring sand and dust storms from the open spaces of the dry bottom of the Aral Sea,” the minister added. During the visit, tree seedlings were planted in the Muynak district. Also, the director of the International Innovation Center “Aral Bay” under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Bakhitzhan Khabibullaev, presented information about the work carried out by the center to green the dried up bottom of the Aral Sea. It was noted that cooperation has been established with a number of international organizations, environmentally friendly factories are being created and other initiatives are being implemented. In addition, the director spoke about a number of promising projects. In particular, within the framework of the project “Creation of a demonstration plot of plants resistant to desert, saline and arid conditions and the creation of a nursery”, a demonstration plot of plants resistant to the desert, saline and arid conditions of the region and the creation of a dry bottom on an area of 10 hectares was created on an area of 100 hectares Aral nurseries with plants such as cherkes and sugar cane. Bakhitjon Khabibullaev also reported that in 2023, in order to develop the skills of social innovation and social entrepreneurship in 3 regions of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the ImkonLab program (UPSHIFT-2023) was launched and grants were awarded in the amount of 20 thousand US dollars, organized in cooperation with UNICEF in Uzbekistan. It was also noted that more than 100 enterprising young people were provided with practical assistance in acquiring new professional skills and qualifications. For information: cooperation has been established with such international organizations as the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the International Innovation Center of the Aral Sea region, the International Center for Biological Agriculture on Saline Soils (ICBA), the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG), the Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), German International, etc. In addition, the chief curator of the state program for restoring the ecosystem of the dry bottom of the Aral Sea, academician Zinovy Novitsky, provided information about the purpose of the project and the work being carried out. In particular, the academician noted that saline and drought-resistant saxaul and other crops have already been planted on an area of about 2 million hectares of the dried Aral Sea bed in order to improve the ecology of the area. “Plants destroy salts in the soil with their roots. Saxaul prevents the spread of soil and sand particles. That is, the air becomes cleaner. These plants release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, which has a positive effect on the environment. Saxaul serves as a mechanical obstacle. One such saxaul bush can trap up to one ton of toxic sand and salt. If it weren’t for him, all this would have risen into the air and been carried away over long distances,” Novitsky said. It is worth noting that in the period 2018-2022. on the dry bottom of the Aral Sea in the Muynak region, on an area of 1.6 million hectares, a “green cover” (protective forest plantings) was created by sowing seeds and planting seedlings of desert plants; forestry workers and local residents collected 6.4 thousand tons of seeds saxaul and other desert plants, as well as sand accumulating furrows were created on an area of 1.3 million hectares to create forests. Also, to provide forest plantations with high-quality planting materials, forestry authorities establish saxaul nurseries annually on an area of 100 hectares.