Only the Desert Knows the True Value of Water
In May 2025, students of schools No. 39 and No. 47 in Jambaskala participated in an environmental education program organized in cooperation with the World Aral Region Charity Fund, Ekolog.uz, and the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan. Students living in the Aral region—on the border of desertification—wrote essays and stories based on their personal experiences about how they feel climate change. In this text, ecology is revealed through the sincere words of Dinara.
Water is the heart of life, the breath of nature, and the greatest wealth of humanity. If there is no water, what will we do? Will we not wash? Will we not drink tea? Will we not breathe? Water is not a "whim" of nature, but the support of humanity. But by considering this value an "endless resource," we are digging our own grave.
Today, especially in the territory of Karakalpakstan, this wealth is becoming more and more scarce. According to forecasts, by 2025–2050, the volume of water in the Amu Darya basin may decrease by up to 15%. Thinking about this statistic, you feel how hard water goes down your throat. This is not just a warning — it is a problem that has already begun. In rural areas, there is not enough water to irrigate gardens, and trees on the streets are drying up. Water has ceased to be a vital resource for us — it has turned into a "thing" suffering from human indifference.
Once upon a time, the Aral Sea, which ranked fourth in the world in size after the Caspian, Superior, and Victoria, became the most tragic example of this problem. According to sources, in the 1960s, its area was 68,000 km², and by 2010 it had shrunk to 13,900 km².
And now? Desert. Salt. Dust. This is not a tragedy — this is a warning signal. "Green space" is not just a project. It is an intention. Breath. Each planted tree is shade, coolness, and a sign of life. Water is life. Our motto should be: think when you drink, think when you live. If there is no water, there will be no me, no you, no us. Start saving water yourself — and it will reach even the most remote villages...
Dinara Matrasulova