Nukus, Uzbekistan [November 28, 2023] – Between November 28 – December 1, GGGI Uzbekistan trained farmers in the Bozataw, Karauzyak, Kegeyli, and Chimbay districts of Karakalpakstan as a capacity-building activity of the KOICA-funded Aral Sea GRIP.
Under the Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to Address Impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis (Aral Sea GRIP), GGGI Uzbekistan and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan have been supporting the capacity-building activities for key stakeholders in the implementation of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) activities in Karakalpakstan. This region has been experiencing the shrinking of the Aral Sea and is dealing with constant water stress, which is being exacerbated by the effects of climate change.
Addressing this issue is one of the top priorities of the region, and that’s why Aral Sea GRIP is working towards enhancing its adaptation capacity. One of the main activities promoted by the project is windbreak planting, which helps to reduce sand, dust, and salt storms. Uzbekistan has the target of planting 200,000 hectares yearly until 2030; a significant portion of these efforts is focused on Karakalpakstan.
Considering the circumstances, GGGI, with Master Fruit’s technical support, developed the “Crop quality and yield increase through resource efficiency, climate-friendly water management, and input-saving technologies in winter-wheat and fruit production” training for nursery professionals, which elaborated on Winter-wheat land preparation, seeding, seed treatment, fertilization, and pest management practices. The attendees received valuable knowledge linked to orchard site selection and planning for fruit production as well as rootstock and verities, tree training systems, and water-saving irrigation technologies. Windbreak establishment processes were explained in detail.
As a result, the participants recognized the importance of water-saving technologies and agroforestry approaches represented by windbreaks in winter wheat and fruit production. In addition, the concept of efficiency was highlighted in terms of economic and environmental sustainability. GGGI is willing to continue supporting the promotion of CSA models to face climate change and the Aral Sea Crisis in Karakalpakstan.
GGGI would like to thank the Chimbay, Karauzyak, Kegeyli, and Bozataw districts for providing the Conference Halls for the trainings in the School of Music and Culture, Cultural Center, and Youth Centers, respectively.