Ecological Union of Karakalpakstan (EcoSoyuz or EcoUnion) is a non-governmental organization, working in the field of protection and proper use of natural resources of the region. It comprises 148 members and unifies scientists and students, specializing in the sphere of ecology, biology and geography, as well as the wide groups of nature amateurs.

EcoSoyuz was founded in summer 1995 by the group of ecology researchers, who are concerned by ecological situation n the Aral Sea area. The main objective of their activity is to concentrate the efforts of ecologists, biologists and amateurs of nature in creating ecological safety and welfare in the Aral Sea area. EcoSoyuz was registered by the Ministry of Justice of Karakalpakstan Republic as Republican community group on January 11, 1996. At the present moment departments of EcoSoyuz was founded in Karakalpakstan State University and in Scientific Research Institute of Arable farming (Chimbay). Main directions of the activities are:

• ecological monitoring and pollution control;
• foundation of ecological library;
• carrying independent ecological expertise;
• ecological education;
• ecological propaganda;
• protected nature objects;
• other directions within the boundaries of proposed subjects.

Majority of members of our group are the scientists of Bioecology Institute of Karakalpakstan Branch of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences, professors and students of Biology-geography faculty of Karakalpak State University. Members of our organization were experts in UNEP’s project "Working Out Measures on Preservation of the Aral Sea", in Program 4.1 "Project of Restoration of Wetlands in the Aral Sea Region" (International Bank of Reconstruction and Development/Euroconsult). At the present moment they work jointly with UNESCO and Ministry of Science and Technologies of Germany on the project "The Aral Sea" 509/RAS/40. Some members of our organization work out geo-informational system (GIS) of the Aral Sea area, which will include electronic version of Atlas of ecological situation of the region.

Some scientific proposals of the members of EcoSoyuz are used by the State Committee on Nature Protection, by State Committee of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and by Chair of Ecology of Karakalpak State University. In particular, Ministry of Agriculture uses our proposals on intensive technologies of proper use of pastures and hayings in the AmuDarya delta; Committee of Forestry and State Committee on Nature Protection uses our recommendations on preservation of rare and vanishing plants and animals.

Student members of the Ecological Union are organizing their own Druzhina Student Nature Protection Movement. Ecological Union, with financial support from ISAR, conducted a series of Youth Ecological Seminars. First seminar was about urban ecological problems, second one was about ecological problems in agriculture (in Chimbay) and the third seminar focused on perspectives of Student Nature Protection Movement.

Ecological Union of Karakalpakstan is publishing in Karakalpak and in Russian "Ecological Bulletin" devoted to environmental problems of the area. 12 issues were published so far. Among the issues covered in the Bulletin are water management practice in lower AmuDarya, urban and rural waste management in Karakalpakstan, development of modern ecological monitoring technologies such as GIS in Aral Sea area, independent ecological expertise on a sodium plant being built in Kungrad, etc.

You can contact us at:

41, Berdakh Ave., Nukus, Karakalpakstan, 742000 Uzbekistan.

Phone: (99861) 217-16-39, or 224-4041.