Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 25 September, in Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Melnychenko Foundation introduced a new initiative called Sister Ecosystems. This program unites young eco-activists from different countries based on the symbolic kinship of threatened ecosystems.

Among the first participants of the initiative were eco-activists from Uzbekistan, Russia, and Kenya, who identified the Aral Sea, Yakutian permafrost, and Kenyan forests as “sister” ecosystems, each at risk.

Uzbekistan was represented at the ceremony by Jasmina Jumaniyazova, a 14-year-old student from the Presidential School in Nukus. Jasmina is the author of the project "City Harvest Farms," aimed at transforming abandoned urban spaces into ecologically sustainable farms. She is also actively involved in initiatives to conserve the Aral Sea, emphasizing the need to learn from past mistakes to prevent future disasters.

The session "Sister Ecosystems: New Generation Environmental Initiatives" also featured Yana Gorokhova from Russia and Karen Wanjiru Kimani from Kenya. Yana is involved in environmental projects in Yakutia, including the "Good Lids" initiative and mass tree-planting events in Yakutsk. She collaborates with the "Ust-Lensky" Nature Reserve and participates in local wildlife conservation programs.

Karen Wanjiru Kimani, a 6th-grade student from Kenya, founded her own environmental fund, the Karen Forte Environmental Conservation Foundation. She has already participated in major international climate forums like COP27 and COP28 and has received several prestigious environmental awards. Karen’s priorities include tree planting, providing water resources to Kenyan schools, and environmental education.

The event was part of the V Northern Forum and the II International Conference on Climate Change and Thawing Permafrost. The session was moderated by Tatiana Zhuravleva, General Director of the Melnychenko Foundation.

"The Sister Ecosystems initiative aims to establish connections among young eco-activists striving to preserve the planet for future generations. We hope this will address the fragmentation of the global environmental community," noted Zhuravleva, adding that around 10 new ecosystems may soon join the initiative.

The event was organized by the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Northern Forum, North-Eastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosov, AGIKI, the Northern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Melnychenko Foundation.