History of the International Innovation center for the Aral Sea basin
On August 24, 2018, at the meeting of the Council of Heads of State — Founders of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, held in Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan), the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, put forward a number of strategic initiatives aimed at introducing innovative solutions in the Aral Sea region, attracting foreign investment, developing the green economy, and intensifying research activities.
In furtherance of these initiatives, the Ministry of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan (now the Agency for Innovative Development), jointly with the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA, UAE), signed a memorandum on the establishment of the International Innovation Center for the Aral Sea Region.
As part of the implementation of these proposals, Presidential Resolution No. PP-3975 dated October 16, 2018, “On the Establishment of the International Innovation Center for the Aral Sea basin under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan,” was adopted. The document defined the main areas of activity of the Center, its objectives, and its organizational structure.
In order to further strengthen the institutional capacity of the Center and enhance the effectiveness of its activities, Presidential Resolution No. PP-4597 dated February 12, 2020, “On Additional Measures to Improve the Effectiveness of the International Innovation Center for the Aral Sea basin under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan,” was adopted.
The document provided for measures to improve the Center’s financial and material-technical support, expand experimental and demonstration sites, refine the organizational structure, and create conditions for the broader introduction of innovative and scientific developments in the Aral Sea region.
Subsequently, in accordance with Presidential Resolution No. PP-171 dated May 31, 2023, “On Measures for the Effective Organization of the Activities of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change,” the Center was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan. This decision was aimed at strengthening institutional coordination, promoting environmental innovations in the Aral Sea region, supporting green entrepreneurship, and establishing sustainable mechanisms for green growth.
On November 18, 2025, in accordance with Presidential Decree No. UP-217, “On Measures to Establish a Management System for Prompt Response to Public Needs in the Fields of Ecology and Tourism,” the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established on the basis of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change.
Currently, the International Innovation Center for the Aral Sea basin operates under the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, continuing to implement strategic objectives related to the environmental rehabilitation of the Aral Sea region, the introduction of innovations, and the improvement of the quality of life of the population.
The main objectives and areas of activity of the Center include:
Increasing the productivity of agroecosystems on the dried seabed of the Aral Sea and in the Amu Darya River delta and adjacent territories to improve the welfare and incomes of the population living in these areas;
Establishing experimental and demonstration plots on saline soils and degraded pastures to test salt-, drought-, and frost-tolerant crops, trees, and shrubs;
Developing and implementing, in cooperation with international organizations, innovative technologies and approaches aimed at restoring and enhancing the productivity of water and land resources in the Aral Sea region;
Promoting innovative technologies and approaches, including sustainable water resource management and afforestation of the dried seabed of the Aral Sea;
Developing agroforestry and organizing fodder production for desert-pasture lands and livestock breeding, improving soil fertility of saline lands, testing new and non-traditional drought-resistant crops, their selection and large-scale introduction, as well as improving cultivation technologies and seed production;
Systematic and targeted collection, introduction, propagation, comprehensive study, and evaluation of international characteristics of cultivated plants, rare and endangered species, local varieties and forms; inventory of genetic collections; and reliable storage of seeds of plants grown for food and agricultural purposes;
Improving and introducing alternative farming systems on saline lands, and the extensive use of plant resources from natural pastures for the sustainable utilization of medicinal, technical, ornamental, and other plants in the Aral Sea basin;
Increasing pasture productivity, restoring and improving the genetic quality of livestock breeds, processing and marketing livestock products, and developing measures and institutional approaches for export;
Developing comprehensive measures and a national action plan for drought prevention and adaptation of local communities to climate change;
Promoting public-private partnerships to overcome the environmental and social consequences of the drying of the Aral Sea;
Assisting research institutions in conducting scientific research in the Aral Sea region;
Organizing training sessions, seminars, field-based practical classes, and master classes to introduce new innovations into practice and apply them under local conditions;
Participating in the development of international scientific and technical cooperation, and implementing scientific, technical, and innovative projects with foreign partners, including through grants from international programs and foundations.