On the occasion of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, the project ‘Environmental and Socio-Economic Regeneration of the Transboundary Basin of the Aral Sea’, promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and carried out with the technical support of SOGESID, was awarded a special recognition at the Green Drop Award 2025.
During the award ceremony held at the Italian Pavilion at the Excelsior Hotel on the Lido of Venice, Green Cross Italy presented a special edition of the traditional ‘Murano glass drop‘, made by master Simone Cenedese, to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, as a symbol of the civil, ecological, and scientific commitment of the project.
Inside the blue glass droplet, a sample of the soil from the Aral Sea has been collected, which was once among the largest bodies of water in the world, and is now almost completely dried up due to unsustainable human interventions. The collection of soil was made possible thanks to the field activities of the Italian Cooperation project.
“It is a great honor for me to receive the Green Drop Award – stated Deputy Minister Cirielli – since the beginning of my term, I have strongly wanted to include Central Asia among the countries where Italian Cooperation operates. This pilot project represents a jewel, also thanks to the valuable collaboration between AICS and SOGESID, which I promoted with a view of the Italian System.”
This recognition rewards our country’s commitment to environmental regeneration of one of the most vulnerable areas of the planet – added Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of AICS. The project on the Aral Sea is a concrete example of multilevel cooperation, which combines technical expertise, strategic vision, and institutional capacity to promote truly sustainable development in Central Asia.
The ongoing cooperation initiative involves the five countries of the region – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – with the aim of supporting local authorities in revitalizing the area affected by one of the worst environmental disasters of the 20th century. The project intends to support a series of actions for the sustainable management of water resources, reforestation, soil restoration, promotion of climate-resilient agriculture, and strengthening food and health security for local communities.
“We are honored to receive this recognition,” commented Errico Stravato, CEO of SOGESID. “The project represents a model of multi-level intervention that addresses the most pressing environmental challenges with an integrated vision and ongoing dialogue with local institutions.”
The ecological tragedy of the Aral Sea, caused by unsustainable massive water withdrawals, continues to generate dramatic impacts on the health, environment, and socioeconomic conditions of local populations. With a loss of 90% of the water volume and a drastic reduction in the lake’s surface area, the Aral Sea has become a symbol of global environmental fragility. “Bringing the land of the Aral Sea to Venice is a symbolic gesture that invites reflection on our relationship with the environment and the need to act concretely and coordinated,” emphasized Elio Pacilio, president of Green Cross Italy.
The Green Drop Award, now in its fourteenth edition, is awarded annually to films in competition at the Venice Film Festival that best interpret the values of sustainability and environmental protection. This year, the winners of the XIV edition were the film “Bugonia” by Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos and “Silent Friend” by Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi, awarded jointly for the ecological and social value of their works.
