The Aral Sea was a lake lying between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan in the south. Formerly one of the four largest lakes in the world with an area of 68,000 km2, the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by irrigation projects. By 2007, it had declined to 10% of its original size, splitting into four lakes. Many areas were completely dry by 2009.

Uzbekistan proposes to establish a partnership between the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea since they pursuit identical priorities in environmental matters.