Asian water summit 'to be held in Kazakhstan'

A water forum involving the leaders of Asian nations has been scheduled to take place in Kazakhstan's former capital city Alamaty, it has been announced.

The meeting will see the heads of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan gather to discuss issues such as water scarcity, management, overuse and drought.

All countries are founding members of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) - an expanse of water located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan - which has been diminishing since the 60s.

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are rich in water supplies, whereas Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan are more arid and require steadier supplies of water for agricultural purposes, the BBC informs.

The IFAS was founded in 1993 with the aim of addressing the sociological and ecological impact of the drying of the Aral Sea.