Joint Communiqué of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and the French Development Agency

As part of the "One Water Summit" initiative, AFD announces that it has authorized a grant of €2,000,000 (two million euros) for EC IFAS, a key international organization in sustainable water resource management at the regional level.

Since 1993, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) has actively worked in five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) to mitigate the consequences of the Aral Sea's desiccation and promote sustainable socio-economic development in the affected regions. As a regional cooperation organization, IFAS addresses key challenges faced by the region amid accelerating climate change and increasing water resource shortages.

AFD has been active in Kazakhstan since 2024, particularly in the area of integrated water resource planning and management. It has also been working in Uzbekistan since 2016, financing public investments in water supply and sanitation sectors. Enhancing regional water resource management is a fundamental aspect of EC IFAS's mandate and a key focus of AFD’s global water sector support.

AFD’s support for EC IFAS, based on a partnership approach, will take the form of a €2,000,000 (two million euros) grant to implement two projects under the Action Program for Assistance to the Countries of the Aral Sea Basin (ASBP-4), aimed at achieving two primary goals:

1.    A detailed analysis of the water requirements  of pilot sub-catchment areas of the Aral Sea basin, in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, using mapping to define the actual  needs of the various water users, particularly agricultural users in these areas. Ultimately, the project aims to change the national regulatory frameworks for irrigation regimes by adapting practices and crops to the increasing scarcity of water. 

2.    An educational initiative to raise awareness of the need to preserve water resources among schoolchildren in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This initiative aims to foster environmental awareness and responsible water use while promoting sustainable water management through educational efforts. UNICEF will implement this initiative.

The grant will cover the years 2025–2026, with the grant agreement expected to be signed by the end of 2024.

Contact Presse :

Chloé Odstrcil / odstrcilc@afd.fr / + 33 6 24 61 33 18 

About the French Development Agency:

Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group finances, supports and accelerates the transitions necessary for a more just and resilient world. It thus contributes to implementing France’s policy on sustainable development and international solidarity. It is with and for communities that we build, with our partners, solutions in more than 160 countries, as well as in 11 French overseas departments and territories.

Our objective: to reconcile economic development with the preservation of common goods: the climate, biodiversity, peace, gender equality, education and health. Our teams are involved in more than 3,600 projects in the field, which are part of the commitment of France and the French people to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. For a world in common.

More information at https://www.afd.fr/en

About the Executive Committee of the International Fund for the Saving of the Aral Sea

The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea was established in accordance with the decision of the Heads of State of Central Asia, adopted on January 4, 1993. The founders of the Fund are the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. During the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in 2024–2026, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan heads the Fund and is the President of IFAS. The permanent executive body of the Fund is the Executive Committee, which is formed on a rotation basis every three years in the presiding country. Its main tasks are to ensure the practical implementation of decisions of the Council of Heads of Founding States, implementation of programs and projects on the problems of the Aral Sea basin, expansion of cooperation with international organizations, donor countries, environmental and other funds.

 More information at https://ecifas.kz/en/