Abu Dhabi Development Fund inaugurates the project to develop agricultural systems in Caracistan – Uzbekistan

Abu Dhabi, September 23/ WAM/ The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development launched a project to develop agricultural production systems in Karacistan – Uzbekistan, during a field visit to the project’s project sites funded by the fund, under the title “Development of sustainable agricultural production systems in the deteriorating lands in Karacistan.”

The project is the result of a joint cooperation and is implemented in cooperation with the Uzbekistan government represented by the Ministry of Environment, Environment and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Agriculture – as well as the International Center for Salt Agriculture (ICAS), the International Center for Innovation in the Arral Basin (IICAS), and the Karacistan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).

The field tour aimed at reviewing the progress of work and reviewing the progressive progress in this joint initiative aimed at restoring agricultural productivity and enhancing the ability to withstand dry and salty environments in the Arral region.

The inauguration was launched during an official ceremony attended by His Excellency Mohamed Saif Al -Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Development Fund, His Excellency Ornbayev Amanbai Tiophyevich, Chairman of the Supreme Council (Gokargi Kennis) for Karacistan, His Excellency Dr. Tarifa Al -Zaabi, Director General Tordestif, General Manager – Caracal Pakistan Institute for Agricultural Research, along with a delegation of the fund, a number of scientists and farmers, and prominent representatives of agricultural research centers, relevant authorities and partners.

The project, which was launched in 2022 with funding from the Abu Dhabi Development Fund at a value of 18.7 million dirhams (5 million US dollars), aims to improve productivity by introducing integrated agricultural systems to support local communities, enabling them to face drought and desertification challenges and the deterioration of lands from the Arral Sea crisis and depends on the introduction of resistant crops for drought, heat and salinity, and the application of advanced systems for water management and soil, In addition to creating modern patterns that enhance food security and support the sustainability of livelihoods, it includes testing more than 20 types of crops that resist harsh climatic conditions in three typical sites.

The project includes this, in addition to the development of a modern infrastructure for irrigation and drainage, the establishment of low -cost protected homes, and units for the multiplication of seeds, as well as an integrated system that combines agriculture and water biology and combines salinity resistance crops with fish production to achieve maximum resource use efficiency.

The capacity building is one of the basic components of the project, as approximately two thousand specialists and farms are trained in the latest practices and advanced technologies, in a manner that ensures the achievement of optimal results and long -term sustainability for this vital sector.

His Excellency Mohammed Saif Al -Suwaidi said that this project reflects the vision of our rational leadership and our joint commitment to achieving the goals of the United Nations sustainable development, especially the enhancement of food security worldwide and supports the strategic approach that the fund follows in applying innovative solutions, enhancing active partnerships, and enabling the exchange of experiences between countries.

He added that through such projects, we aim to enable societies to face environmental challenges, adapt to climate variables, and build strong economies, explaining that this project exceeds its focus on the agricultural side to contribute to enhancing the flexibility of the economy more comprehensive, and opens new horizons in line with the national development agenda of Uzbekistan and its ambitious vision in the long run for a comprehensive and sustainable future.

He said that our cooperation with the Republic of Uzbekistan in this pioneering project embodies the keenness of the Abu Dhabi Development Fund to achieve a tangible impact that benefits the current and future generations.

For her part, His Excellency Dr. Tarifa Al -Zaabi said: “We are proud of our partnership with the Abu Dhabi Development Fund through which we embody a model of a scientific and practical project that transforms challenges into opportunities and enhances a successful model for strategic investment, and by enabling partners in Uzbekistan, we worked to test more than twenty types of crops that bear salinity and dehydration with important nutritional elements, in addition to developing an integrated system of first of its kind in Uzbekistan combines the production of vegetables, algae and fish production while maintaining the optimal use of water.

She explained that the project included awareness and training programs to build the capabilities of farmers to produce and sustain agricultural practices for dry, salty environments, noting that the real value of the project does not lie only in land reclamation or introducing new technologies, but in enhancing the ability of agricultural societies to withstand, and opening new horizons to achieve food and sustainable water security in the countries of the south.

Bakhitjan Khikimolaev, director of the International Innovation Center for the Arral Basin, said that today’s meeting embodies the meanings of trust, cooperation and solidarity, since 2019, the center, in cooperation with the International Center for Salt Agriculture (Ikaba), has implemented a number of scientific and practical projects, including the sustainable agriculture initiative in Karakatan, with the support of the Abu Dhabi Development Fund and other partners and this project contributed to the establishment of experimental fields, And testing salinity resistance crops and techniques, and more than a thousand farms benefited from it, as well as the “Energy Globe” award for 2024 and today, we launch a new pilot project on integrated agricultural -water systems, aiming to combine crop cultivation and fish raising with the optimal use of water.

He added that these efforts contribute to enhancing food security, supporting adaptation to climate change, and improving livelihoods in the Arral region, as well as highlighting the active role of Uzbekistan in facing global environmental challenges, and we express in this regard our sincere gratitude to international partners for their continuous support.

This project represents a milestone for Karabakistan, as it transmits the region from the challenges of environmental deterioration to a future based on sustainable agriculture by improving soil quality, rationalizing water use, improving the quality of local communities.

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