Karakalpakstan occupies 37% of the total territory of Uzbekistan, has 5.5% of its total population, but only 3.5% of total GDP of the country. The climate is naturally arid, therefore the local population has long depended on the water from the Amu Darya delta for irrigating its agriculture, and – in the past - on the Aral Sea for fishing activities. Following the drying up of the Aral Sea and the reduced flow of water in the lower reaches of the river, local livelihoods have become increasingly threatened and multiple interconnected human security challenges emerged.

With the support of the Government of Japan, UNDP teamed UNFPA to implement a Joint Programme “Building the Resilience of Local Communities Against Health, Environmental and Economic Insecurities in the Aral Sea Region” that aimed to address the most urgent and immediate health and economic insecurities in the most vulnerable areas of the Aral Sea region through bringing innovative solutions to healthcare and livelihoods initiatives.

Here are the key achievements of the programme implemented during 2020-2021.