The inaugural Aral Culture Summit (ACS) took place in Nukus, Uzbekistan, organized by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF). The summit brought together around 500 attendees to explore how arts, cultural heritage, and design can support environmental regeneration in the Aral Sea region, which has suffered catastrophic ecological collapse due to Soviet-era river diversions for cotton farming. Speakers included Ivana Živković of the UNDP, Elena Kan of KIVA Center for Agroinnovations, Kazakh biodesigner Dana Molzhigit, and Belgian landscape architect Bas Smets, who discussed afforestation, climate resilience, traditional knowledge, and microclimate design.
The summit matters because it positions culture as a central tool for addressing one of the world's worst man-made environmental disasters. By linking local traditions, design innovation, and ecological restoration, the ACS offers a model for how arts and heritage can drive sustainable development in crisis-hit regions. The event also highlights Uzbekistan's growing role in using cultural diplomacy to confront climate change, while giving voice to communities like Karakalpakstan that are directly affected by the Aral Sea's disappearance.