All of this is gaining great significance and urgency in the context of global climate change and the escalation of ecological disasters. There is now a growing global awareness that the negative changes associated with the Aral Sea catastrophe pose serious threats not only to Central Asian countries, but also to sustainable development on a global scale.

As is well known, the area of the dried-up Aral Sea floor is 4.5 million hectares, of which 2.2 million hectares are in the territory of Kazakhstan and 2.3 million hectares in the territory of Uzbekistan. Each year, 100 million tonnes of salt dust are carried from the sea floor, spreading over thousands of kilometres, causing irreparable harm to the region's inhabitants, nature and economy.

In this regard, fundamental changes were planned in the approaches to solving problems related to the Aral Sea across five priority directions in the Uzbekistan Development Strategy for 2017-2021. In particular, systemic measures were emphasised to mitigate the negative consequences of global climate change and the drying up of the Aral Sea for the development of agriculture and the improvement of people's lives.