Trend, citing the European Commission, reported that the European Union has announced a grant of 8.8 million euros for a project aimed at land restoration in the Aral Sea region.
The project will focus on creating protective green belts, where plants that can withstand arid climates and saline soils will be planted in the former seabed. A portion of the funding will also support the cultivation of trees and fodder crops and finance the activities of the Forestry Agency of Uzbekistan.
These initiatives are designed to gradually restore degraded lands and improve the socio-economic and environmental conditions in Karakalpakstan, mainly through the development of agriculture and forestry. Work on the project is set to begin this year.
In addition to the EU grant, the project will receive financial support through loans from the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), totalling 60 mln euros.
Earlier, Kursiv Uzbekistan reported that Italian photographer Fabrizio Fortuna dedicated a series of photos to the Aral Sea problem.
