Heritage of Aral Sea: lake in Uzbekistan listed as site of international importance

Lake Zhyltyrbas, previously a bay of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan, was included in the list of wetlands of international importance.

There are only five objects on the territory of Uzbekistan included in this list; a few months ago the Sudochye lake system was included in it; Zhyltyrbas became the fifth water body.

"The Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention handed us a certificate on the inclusion of the fifth natural site of Uzbekistan in the list of wetlands of international importance - Lake Zhyltyrbas in Karakalpakstan. This is a great event for all of us",

Head of the Ministry of Ecology of the Republic Aziz Abdukhakimov said.

Previously, Zhyltyrbas was part of the Aral Sea, but the shallowing led to the fact that the bay became a separate body of water, fed by the waters of the Amu Darya River.

The lake is unique in that it preserves fauna characteristic of the Southern Aral Sea. In the ecology of Uzbekistan, the lake has a huge role as it restrains dust storms from the dried up Aral Sea.