Kazakhstan Initiates Forest Planting on Aral Sea’s Dried-Up Bed

On January 9, the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources announced that Kazakhstan has engaged both national and private companies to plant forests on the dried bed of the Aral Sea, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.

The ministry signed an agreement with KATCO, a joint venture between France’s Orano Mining SA and Kazatomprom national atomic company, as well as the administrations of the Kyzylorda and Turkistan Regions.

With KATCO’s funding, the project commenced in 2024 and will extend into 2025. So far, 522 tons of seeds have been collected, and 12,000 hectares were sown between Dec. 16 and 30, 2024. There are plans to seed an additional 108,000 hectares from January to February.

The project aims to restore the ecological balance of the region, improve climate conditions, and support local communities. Planting helps prevent further desertification and bring life back to the Aral Region.