In Astana, at the first Regional Environmental Summit (RES-2026), a decision was made to establish a new international environmental date. The heads of state of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea officially declared March 26 as the International Day of the Aral Sea, as well as the Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers.
This decision aims to draw the global community’s attention to the region’s environmental challenges and the need to preserve Central Asia’s key water resources.
The meeting of the Council of Heads of State was chaired by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and attended by the leaders of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Following the meeting, the Astana Statement and a number of documents outlining the fund’s future development were signed. Tokayev’s term as President of IFAS was extended until the end of 2026.
Approximately 1500 delegates, including representatives of international organizations and countries from Europe and the Middle East, attended the summit. The central topic of discussion was the Aral Sea’s environmental disaster, which has significantly shrunk since the 1960s due to intensive water extraction for agriculture.
The establishment of a new commemorative date is intended to give additional impetus to projects to restore the region’s ecosystem and develop transboundary water cooperation.
