The Aral Sea, once one of the largest inland seas in the world, can no longer be restored, but Central Asian countries are shifting their focus to mitigating the damage and improving the wellbeing of millions affected by the environmental disaster, a senior regional official said.

“The Aral Sea unfortunately cannot be saved any more,” said Askhat Orazbay, chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), on the sidelines of the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 in Astana in April. “When it was established there were efforts to restore, to save. Now we continue our job… but the reality has changed.”

Instead, regional governments are working on new initiatives, including a 2026–2029 roadmap developed with the World Health Organization, aimed at improving health and living conditions in communities across the Aral Sea basin.

The shift reflects a broader evolution in the role of IFAS, which was created in 1992 in the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse, when newly independent Central Asian states were left to manage shared water resources without central coordination.

“Presidents of five Central Asian countries decided to set up this international body to address the most topical issues – environmental issues, water management issues,” Orazbay said.

During the Soviet era, water allocation from the region’s major rivers, including the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, was centrally controlled from Moscow. “All these issues were decided by the central government in Moscow, especially with regard to the allocation of water,” he said. “Certain volumes were allocated to each of the Central Asian countries – no discussion, they had to implement them.”

After independence, that system collapsed. “There was a chaotic situation because each one of these countries became independent,” Orazbay said.

The challenge was compounded by geography, with upstream countries holding natural advantages over downstream neighbours. Water quickly became a source of tension in the region.

“Water in Central Asia is the most delicate, the most important issue,” Orazbay said. “Actually now even more than it used to be, due to water scarcity, climate change, population growth and economic growth.”

IFAS was designed to provide a mechanism for cooperation. “One of the main tasks is to make sure available resources in Central Asia are divided more or less fairly,” he said.

It also took on the broader consequences of the Aral Sea’s collapse, which had already begun during the Soviet period as rivers were diverted for irrigation, devastating the lake and surrounding ecosystems.

“The catastrophe in the Aral Sea already happened, so we face other consequences – environmental, agriculture and health care, social affairs,” Orazbay said. “This was the reason why the heads of state decided to establish [IFAS], to mitigate negative consequences of the Aral catastrophe.”

More than three decades later, he said the organisation has played a crucial stabilising role. “One of the main achievements is this organisation and the mechanism of coordination between the five countries helped avoid any possible clashes, conflicts between the countries over water issues,” Orazbay said.

However, he acknowledged that IFAS must now adapt to new realities. “The situation at that time was different from now,” he said. “Our task at this organisation is to adapt to the current situation, with new realities on the ground.”

Despite that, its structure has remained largely unchanged since its creation. “Our structure until now exists in the same shape as it was when it was established 34 years ago,” he said.

Regional leaders have now said reforms are needed. “To reflect new realities, the presidents instructed to make some changes, improvements and reforms. That’s what we are doing now,” he said, adding that efforts are also under way to “improve the legal basis for the activities.”

Even the organisation’s name may change to reflect its broader mission. “The current name… does not necessarily rightly reflect the job what we are doing,” Orazbay said, noting that some countries have proposed alternatives such as an “organisation of cooperation of the Aral basin”.

While the Aral Sea itself cannot be restored, Kazakhstan is pursuing efforts to revive part of its northern section, known as the Small Aral or the Northern Aral. 

Such measures could improve water quality and biodiversity. “It will also affect the chemical composition – less salty, more water, less salt,” he said. “That means also it will affect biodiversity, more fish will be available.”

Still, he cautioned that these efforts cannot reverse the broader loss. “As a whole unfortunately it’s not positive,” he said.

Looking ahead, IFAS is focusing on two core pillars – water management and environmental protection – while considering a third linked to hydroenergy.

As climate change intensifies pressure on already limited water resources, Orazbay said regional cooperation will remain essential.

“We needed a mechanism how to distribute this water fairly,” he said. “That remains as important today as it was 30 years ago.”