An Italian engineering company has unveiled a project to revive the Aral Sea basin, offering hope for environmental recovery in Central Asia where the sea’s shrinkage stands as a major crisis.
President Roberto Mantovanelli and CEO Errico Stravato of SOGESID presented the initiative to ambassadors of Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. Deputy Foreign Minister Edmondo Cirielli and Deputy Environment Minister Vannia Gava hosted the meetings.
SOGESID, a state-owned engineering and specialized technical support company, developed the proposal to combat climate change in the Aral Sea region, identified as highly vulnerable to desertification, the press service of Farnesina reported.
This ambitious plan for the Aral basin’s environmental restoration aligns with Italy’s current presidency of the EU-Central Asia High-level Conference on Environment and Water. It outlines targeted measures for an integrated environmental revival effort.
Discussions also explored involvement of the Italian Climate Fund, the main national public instrument for pursuing the objectives undertaken by Italy in the context of international agreements on climate and environment. ///nCa, 26 January 2024