ISLAMABAD, April 22. /Dunyo IA/. The official website of the Pakistani newspaper World News Pakistan has published an article highlighting the environmental challenges of the Aral Sea region and the measures being undertaken by Uzbekistan to mitigate their impact, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The publication notes that, according to research by the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, a new desert ecosystem has formed on the dried seabed of the Aral Sea, now referred to as the Aralkum Desert.

“Once the largest lake in Central Asia in the early 20th century, the Aral Sea began to rapidly shrink in the second half of the century. The retreat of its waters led to the formation of a vast desert landscape covering more than 60,000 square kilometres, now recognized as one of the largest human-made desert ecosystems in the region”, - the article states.

According to scientists, these changes have had a significant impact on local climatic conditions, soil composition, and biodiversity. Species adapted to aquatic environments have sharply declined, while new ecological communities are emerging. In particular, bird populations are adapting to the newly formed desert environment between the Ustyurt Plateau and the Kyzylkum Desert.

As part of the research, scientists conducted field expeditions in the Muynak district of Karakalpakstan in October–November 2025. Using grid-based mapping methods through ArcGIS, ornithological surveys were carried out across 68 grid cells, including observations along 56 transects covering a total distance of 140 kilometres, as well as 12 point-count stations.

The study identified six main biotopes in the Aralkum Desert, including saline, sandy, rocky and gravel, muddy, and hilly desert zones, along with residual water bodies and artificial reservoirs formed through drainage systems.

A total of 91 bird species belonging to 12 orders and 26 families were recorded in the area, 13 of which are listed in Uzbekistan’s Red Book.

In conclusion, the article emphasizes that the findings provide an important scientific basis for identifying key habitats in the Aral Sea region and developing targeted conservation measures.