About the project

The virtually-disappeared Aral Sea is synonymous with ecological and socio-economic collapse, but carries the seeds of its own recovery. In the heart of the former Sea, Resurrection Island's unusually pristine biodiversity flourished as the island was cut off for 400 years (>123 vascular plant species and 111 vertebrate species, including ~50 Critically Endangered saiga antelopes, acting as an umbrella species for regional desert ecosystems; Shomuradov & Adilov, 2019; Bykova et al., 2020; Gritsina et al., 2020). The recent drying of the sea and decommissioning of a Cold War-era abandoned military base on the Island allowed access to scientists, poachers and looters, making clear its conservation and cultural value, but also its vulnerability.

The Sea is transboundary (Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan), situated in the Ustyurt desert ecosystem and the Autonomous administrative region of Karakalpakstan (with a unique culture and people). Regional biodiversity is rapidly declining due to environmental change and poaching (particularly of mammals, birds and reptiles; Bykova et al., 2015; GosComEcology). One cause of biodiversity loss is that its non-use potential is not being realised. Unemployment rates are at 40%, incentivising poaching and looting (SCA pilot surveys, 2020; Griysina et al., 2020), but there is enormous untapped potential for adventure, ecological and cultural tourism (ships on the dry seabed, ancient and cold-war ruins, a world-famous art gallery, unique ecosystems). Further, biodiversity is increasingly impacted by largescale industrial activity, but there is limited understanding of, or capacity for, industrial biodiversity impact mitigation, which both regional and national government actors are keen to remedy (Bull, 2014; UNDP, 2015).

Our 2020 pilot surveys of Ustyurt residents – including discussions with civil servants, residents and businesses – demonstrate a strong desire for sustainable livelihoods (particularly tourism-based), responsible development, and biodiversity conservation. Based discussions in 2020/21, these findings align closely with regional and national government priorities (see LoS): dramatic expansion in tourist revenue combined with increased natural resource extraction and transport construction are seen as key to growing Uzbekistan’s economy. Our project will support stakeholders in building the skills, market structures and policy environment to realise these ambitions.

We will address the drivers of biodiversity loss mentioned above, focusing on the two key towns with direct access to Resurrection Island: Muynak (potential tourism gateway) and Kyrk-Kyz (poaching and industrial development hotspot).

Our three-pronged approach:

1) addresses unemployment and poaching drivers through piloting new tourism-linked income streams (crafts, homestays, guiding) linked to Resurrection Island which can be replicated more widely;

2) addresses potential industrial infrastructure damage (Kyr-Kyz) through technical support for effective biodiversity impact mitigation;

3) addresses poaching and lays the foundation for tourism through supporting protected area designation for Resurrection Island.

By bringing diverse stakeholders together to develop a shared vision for the Island and local residents, we will create a model for a resurgent Aral Sea region, which will be scaled post-project.