China facilitates tree planting on the bottom of the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan

According to the Ministry of Ecology of Kazakhstan, a group of Chinese scientists has traveled to the Kyzylorda region to visit the Aral Sea area. In collaboration with Kazakhstani specialists, they plan to plant trees throughout the bottom of the former sea.

Scientists from the Xinjiang Institute of Geography and Ecology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences also met with Kazakhstan’s Ecology Minister Yerlan Nyssanbayev.

«During the meeting, the two sides discussed a set of issues related to tree planting on the bottom of the former Aral Sea to mitigate the negative consequences for the regional environment,» the agency reported.

Nyssanbayev emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with China, as the country is the world leader in land reclamation through tree planting.

The two sides have agreed to establish a joint Kazakhstan-China center aimed at addressing environmental issues related to the former bottom of the Aral Sea.

The ministry said that the Chinese scientists have already traveled to the Kyzylorda region to familiarize themselves with the scope of work on the ground.

As Kursiv.media reported earlier this year, Kazakhstan’s government will allocate $13.2 million to assess the subsoil potential of the Aral basin.

These funds will be used for geophysical exploration at the Western and Eastern fields. Once the exploration is completed later this year, the government will receive a preliminary assessment of resources in the area and determine the most promising structures. Subsoil users are also exploring the bottom of the former Aral Sea using their own funds.