UNO Tashkent. The Inside Story. Empowering communities living in the Aral Sea disast

One of the most prominent environmental problems for Uzbekistan is the Aral Sea disaster, which has affected not only the climate and nature of the land surrounding it, but also the livelihoods of people living nearby. What used to be the world’s fourth largest lake is now merely its 1/10th part, having dried up over the last 40years due to over irrigation and poor resource planning that has gradually led the area to its current disastrous state. This week the UNews Weekly takes a closer look at efforts taken by the UN, the Government of Uzbekistan and communities to reduce the insecurities caused by the disaster and improve the livelihoods of those living in the area. We have spoken on the phone to Sagitjan Aitjanov of the UN Aral Sea Programme to bring us up-to-date.