Aral Sea / Photo by the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation
The project is expected to create a barrier against salt and toxic dust, improve human health, and contribute to the future of the entire Earth.
The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation is launching an environmental project to improve the Aral Seabed ecosystem. Partners in the initiative include the University of California, Berkeley, the Executive Board of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan, and Korkyt Ata University of Kyzylorda.
The Aral Sea has become a symbol of one of the world’s greatest environmental disasters. Its area has shrunk by 90%, and millions of hectares of salt marshes have formed on its dried-out seabed, a source of toxic dust. Environmentalists estimate that tens of billions of tons of salt are concentrated here, carried by winds for thousands of kilometers, reaching the Arctic and the Himalayas. This dust, saturated with toxins and pesticide residues, poisons the soil, water, and air, threatening the health of millions of people and food security in many countries.
The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation’s pilot project aims to long-term improve the Aral Seabed ecosystem and field-test the innovative E-seed technology from the University of California, Berkeley. It utilizes aerial seeding using drones that plant special self-burying seeds in biodegradable material. This method enables rapid and widespread greening, as well as increased survival rates due to deeper seed placement. The technology allows for rapid planting and coverage of large areas while minimizing labor costs.
“The Aral Sea is a wound to the planet that cannot be ignored. We are launching a project that will create a barrier against salt and toxic dust, improve human health, and contribute to the future of the entire Earth. The uniqueness of this technology is that it can be applied anywhere in the world, not only potentially transforming deserts into green oases but also facilitating the restoration of burned forests and increasing the effectiveness of reforestation,” noted Ainur Karbozova, Director of the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation.
The project will create a barrier against salt and toxic dust / Photo by the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation
A test planting on a 1-hectare area will begin in March-April 2026. If scientifically proven survival rates exceed 20%, the second phase of the pilot project will include planting on 50 hectares of the dried Aral Seabed in 2027. The cost of the pilot project is $600,000.
“According to forecasts and a favorable outcome of the innovative E-seed technology, planting halophytes will contribute to positive changes in the formation of the ecosystem of the dried Aral Sea bed, specifically strengthening and restoring the soil structure, reducing dust and salt emissions within a certain radius of the test site. In 2028-2029, an increase in biodiversity is expected: the number of insects, birds, and small vertebrates will increase, and air humidity may increase. The long-term goal of the project is to stabilize the ecosystem within a radius of fifty kilometers or more by 2040, reduce air temperatures in the region by one to two degrees, and improve the microclimate,” said Rakhat Kurmanbayev, Associate Professor at Korkyt Ata University in Kyzylorda.
The project is being implemented in close conjunction with initiatives under Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), which is chaired by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev from 2024 to 2026. This plan includes the reforestation of over one million hectares of dry seabed.
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https://informburo.kz/novosti/ulucsenie-ekosistemy-dna-arala-v-kazaxstane-zapuskaetsia-proekt-mirovogo-znaceniia