UN General Assembly
2023

In our region, we have seen how water scarcity has created serious economic and other challenges in transboundary river basins. That will be replicated across the world — by 2040. global demand for water may outstrip supply by as much as 40 per cent. We must therefore combine political will and economic resources to address that critical global issue, simultaneously with climate action. Next year we will assume the chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. We will continue our efforts to prevent the further degradation of the environment and its impact on livelihoods around what was once the fourth largest lake on the planet. Today it is the world’s largest lake — the Caspian Sea — that also faces ecological challenges, including shallowing, water diversion and the pollution of flora and fauna. Saving the Caspian Sea must be a matter of common priority that requires long-term international cooperation.