Aral Sea is distinguished by being one of the largest natural water sources destroyed by human intervention in the 20th century. The world’s fourth largest lake back in the days, Aral has now considerably shrunk because of the improperly applied agricultural development and water management. This situation has caused serious economic, environmental, and social consequences on a regional scale. Karakalpakstan, in the northwestern portion of Uzbekistan, has been one of the most damaged places due to this disaster. Lately, there have been many promising initiatives to revive the culture, life, and ecological balance lost around this lake. The most important one of these initiatives is the Aral Culture Summit organized in 2025 for the first time.
The two major rivers flowing into the Aral Sea, Amu Darya and Syr Darya, were directed to the formation of cotton fields in line with the agricultural policies of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from the 1960s. This policy has caused the rapid derivation of the lake. In the 1980s, the lake had already shrunk to more than half of its original size. Apart from all this, in 2007, the northeast part of the lake completely dried. As a consequence of this, climatic conditions around the lake have changed, desertification has increased, biodiversity has decreased significantly, and thousands of people who made a living by fishing have been unemployed.
Dust storms blowing off from the drying lakebed in Karakalpakstan continued to threaten public health. As a result, basic livelihoods such as livestock, agriculture, and fishing have disappeared.[1] The dried lands with toxic waste left over from the times of the USSR left long-term negative effects on the environment and human health. In addition, biological weapons experiments were carried out near the lake during the USSR period. This led to troubles for humans and other living things to be in the zone in question.
Besides these, with the Aral Culture Summit held in Nukus, capital city of Karakalpakstan, from April 4 to 6, it is aimed to be a new beginning. This summit, supported by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), is a multidisciplinary platform aiming to revive the Aral Lake region with projectment, art, and culture. The main purpose of this summit is not only to create cultural interaction, but also to find new ideas that will contribute to the sustainable development of the region and apply them. In the event, panel discussions, art shows, markets where local handicrafts are exhibited, and networking forums were organized. Also, the summit is planned to be reorganized every 18 months and is transformed into an idea production area.
The Chairperson of ACDF, Gayane Umerova, has stated that they want to bring critical interest and sustainable solutions to the fragile ecosystem of this region through many different creative projects. According to her, art and design are powerful tools to reunite local communities, to promote innovation, and to increase ecological awareness. Apart from all this, the summit presented the sustainable transformation of the old Istiqlol Park in Nukus as an exemplary project in order to embody the development models compatible with the environment. This project contains important subjects like supporting biological diversity, ecological design, and re-functionalization of the public sphere. Thus, the summit is distinguished not only by the theoretical discourse, but also by applicable models. In addition, the tourism sector is positioned to be one of the priority areas in the national development strategy. Within this framework, local and international representatives attending the Aral Culture Summit also stated that the Karakalpakstan region can become an important tourism destination with its rich historical and cultural heritage.[2]
The Aral Culture Summit has created not only a local sphere of interaction but also an international one. More than 2000 authorized experts from the United Nations, the European Union, and Central Asian states participated in the Samarkand International Climate Forum, which developed with the summit. In this forum, it was emphasized that regional cooperation should be increased due to water scarcity, desertification, and climate change issues. The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, announced that more than two million hectares had been planted with drought-tolerant plants in the Aral region. These initiatives are carried out within the scope of the Yashil Makan (Green Land) project and aim to strengthen the communities in the region in addition to improving the environment.[3]
As a result, the disappearance of the Aral Lake over time is one of the human-induced environmental crises of modern history. However, with this summit started in the Karakalpakstan region after this disaster, it showed that this region can be redefined not only as a lost place, but also as a sustainable transformation space and cultural rebirth. In addition, sustainable projects supported by the revitalization of the local economy, the protection of cultural heritage, and international cooperation promise hope for the future of the region.
[1] “Aral Sea crisis: Uzbekistan launches Aral Culture Summit to boost development in the region”, Euro News, https://www.euronews.com/green/2025/04/07/aral-sea-crisis-uzbekistan-launches-aral-culture-summit-to-boost-development-in-the-region, (Date Accession: 04.05.2025).
[2] “Aral Culture Summit 2025”, e-flux, https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/648706/aral-culture-summit-2025/, (Date Accession: 04.05.2025).
[3] “Culture, Climate, and Clean Water: Summit Outlines New Efforts to Restore the Aral Sea Region”, The Times Of Central Asia, https://timesca.com/culture-climate-and-clean-water-summit-outlines-new-efforts-to-restore-the-aral-sea-region/, (Date Accession: 04.05.2025).
