Das Projekt "Entwicklung von Methoden zur Rehabilitierung von den Auwäldern entlang der Flüsse und in den Deltas der Aralsee-Niederung" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Greifswald, Botanisches Institut und Botanischer Garten durchgeführt. Within the project methods for the rehabilitation of degraded riparian forests along the Syrdarya river (Kazakhstan) will be worked out. Promising shrub and tree species will be surveyed due to their suitability for afforestation along the river bed. As a base line the degraded river plains along Syrdarya river will be mapped and suitable areas for water resource management via afforestation within the riverbed will be determined. In addition nursery gardens will be organized, as well as model areas for the rehabilitation of river plain forests as a functioning ecosystem. In the nursery garden for a fast propagation of indigenous shrub and tree will be worked out. This will lead to a deeper understanding of the desertification taking place along the river beds of Syrdarya and help to protect and restore habitat for wild plant and animal species as well as drinking water resources for living in the river plains. (The project belongs to 'INTAS CALLS for the Aral Sea 2000'; homepage: www.intas.be.
Das Projekt "Abschaetzung der Schnee- und Eisvorraete im Ursprungsgebiet des Flussbettes des Syr-Darja und ihrer Entwicklung im Fall eines moeglichen Klimawandels" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Kommission für Erdmessung und Glaziologie durchgeführt. This project has an interdisciplinary character. It will offer reliable information on the past, present and the future snow-ice resources as the component of renewable water resources both of the Syrdarja River basin and the entire Aral Sea basin for research, design and administrative organization of the countries of this region. A stategy is required to close the gap in knowledge about the future development of the conditions in the zone of formation of renewable water resources. It will be the basis for an estimation of the prognostic situation in the region and development of water supply strategy in the basin of the Aral Sea. In particular, the role of glaciers in maintaining reliable wateryields of this mountanuous region is evaluated.