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The event aims to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration on restoring fragile ecosystems and combating desertification.
Key Messages or Themes - How local expertise, international collaboration, scientific innovation, and creative cultural approaches can collectively foster resilience in arid and semi-arid ecosystems?
The Aral Sea’s successes and ongoing challenges illustrate the transformative potential of biodiversity restoration efforts on Resurrection Island and in the Aralkum desert, highlighting both the role of local scientists and the impact of international cooperation in reviving degraded lands. Microbial and agricultural innovations, such as the application of soil microbiology and sustainable farming practices, drive resilience in arid and semi-arid regions, underlining the importance of advancing scientific research to enhance crop yields while preserving biodiversity.

Moderator: Philip Maughan, climate and food systems journalist, editor of “Aral: Untold Stories from Before, During and After the Sea”, published by Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation in 2025 for the Inaugural Aral Culture Summit.

Speakers:

18:05 – 18:20

- Kenji Tanaka, Professor of Kyoto University, Disaster Prevention Research Institute

18:20– 18:35

- Oktyabr Dospanov, Head of Archaeology Department, State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan named after I.Savitsky (Uzbekistan)

18:35 – 18:50

- Anastasia Sinitsyna, Head of Programming, Aral Culture Summit

18:50 – 19:05
- Dr. Dilfuza Egamberdieva, Head of the Laboratory of Biological Research and Food Safety, Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers (Uzbekistan)

19:05 – 19:20
- Question and answers session

19:20 – 19:30
　- Event summary, closing

【Reflection】

The event “Revitalizing Ecosystems: From the Aral Sea to the World”, organised by the Republic of Uzbekistan, brought together scientists, cultural leaders, and policy experts to discuss how the lessons of the Aral Sea can inform global restoration efforts. Moderated by journalist and author Philip Maughan, the session opened with a vivid historical overview of the Aral Sea’s transformation—from one of the world’s largest inland seas into the Aralkum Desert. Maughan described this as both a human-made disaster and a site of human resilience, noting that communities are now redefining identity and purpose in the wake of ecological loss.

Professor Kenji Tanaka of Kyoto University emphasised how interdisciplinary research, combining hydrology, soil science, and local knowledge, can support the recovery of arid lands. His remarks highlighted the role of early-warning systems and disaster-prevention models in anticipating future risks linked to desertification and climate change. Dr. Oktyabr Dospanov, representing the Savitsky Museum, reflected on the archaeological record of the region and its cultural continuity. He explained how material heritage preserves memories of past ecosystems and social life around the vanished sea, urging that restoration must also mean cultural renewal.

Anastasia Sinitsyna, from the Aral Culture Summit, described the power of art and storytelling in reconnecting people to landscapes that have long been considered “lost.” Her work demonstrated how creative narratives can sustain hope and inspire community participation. Dr. Dilfuza Egamberdieva, from the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanisation Engineers, presented her research on soil microbiology and sustainable farming. She outlined how microbial and bio-fertiliser innovations increase productivity while restoring biodiversity in degraded soils.

Together, the speakers painted a comprehensive picture of restoration as a cultural, scientific, and moral task. The discussion underscored that resilience in arid and semi-arid ecosystems requires cooperation between local communities, scientists, and international partners. By linking ecological science with cultural memory, the event demonstrated how the story of the Aral Sea can become a model for planetary healing.

【Post EXPO Initiatives】

Following Expo 2025, Uzbekistan intends to expand the collaborative frameworks presented during this session into long-term research and cultural initiatives. Building on the partnerships forged through the Aral Culture Summit and Expo’s Theme Weeks, efforts will focus on strengthening cross-disciplinary cooperation between national research institutes, universities, and international organisations dedicated to combating desertification.

One key initiative will be the continued development of pilot projects on soil microbiology, climate-resilient agriculture, and sustainable irrigation, led by Dr. Egamberdieva’s laboratory. These will serve as living laboratories for knowledge exchange between Central Asian and global experts. Parallel to this, cultural institutions such as the Savitsky Museum and the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation will extend their collaboration to curate exhibitions and residencies that integrate environmental science, history, and creative practice—turning the Aral region into an open classroom for ecological awareness.

Educational outreach will also play a major role. The success of the Expo discussion has inspired proposals for joint academic programmes between Kyoto University and Uzbek universities to train a new generation of restoration specialists capable of bridging natural and social sciences.

Finally, inspired by the session’s call for collective responsibility, the organisers plan to establish an “Aral to the World” network, a platform connecting local researchers, artists, and policy advocates across continents. This network will share data, art, and field experiences to guide future global restoration strategies. Through these post-Expo efforts, Uzbekistan reaffirms its commitment to transforming one of the planet’s most striking environmental tragedies into a beacon of innovation and hope.