Formerly thethird-largest lake in the world with an area of 68,000 km2 (26,300 sq mi), the Aral Sea began shrinking in the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted bySovietirrigation projects. By 2007, it had declined to 10% of its original size, splitting into four lakes: theNorth Aral Sea, the eastern and western basins of the once far largerSouth Aral Sea, and the smaller intermediateBarsakelmes Lake.[6] By 2009, the southeastern lake had disappeared and the southwestern lake had retreated to a thin strip at the western edge of the former southern sea. In subsequent years occasional water flows have led to the southeastern lake sometimes being replenished to a small degree.[7] Satellite images byNASA in August 2014 revealed that for the first time in modern history the eastern basin of the Aral Sea had completely dried up.[8][9] The eastern basin is now called theAralkum Desert.
In a Kazakhstani effort to save and replenish the North Aral Sea, theDike Kokaral dam was completed in 2005. By 2008, the water level had risen 12 m (39 ft) above that of 2003,[2] to 42 m (138 ft).[10] As of 2013[update], salinity dropped, and fish were again present in sufficient numbers for some fishing to be viable.[11]
After the visit to Muynak in 2011, United Nations Secretary GeneralBan Ki-moon called the shrinking of the Aral Sea "one of the planet's worst environmental disasters".[12] The region's once-prosperous fishing industry has been devastated, bringing unemployment and economic hardship. The water from the divertedSyr Darya river is used to irrigate about two million hectares (5,000,000 acres) of farmland in theFerghana Valley.[13] The Aral Sea region is heavily polluted, with consequent seriouspublic health problems.UNESCO has added historical documents concerning the Aral Sea to itsMemory of the World Register as a resource to study the environmental tragedy.
TheSyr Darya sturgeon (Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi) was a species of fish possibly driven to extinction by the shrinkage of the Aral Sea.TheUkrainian stickleback (Pungitius platygaster) was the only native species of the Aral Sea to survive its reduction and salinization.
Despite its former vast size, the Aral Sea had relatively low indigenousbiodiversity. However, the Aral Sea basin had an exceptional array ofendemic fishsubspecies (including three endemicsturgeon species). Most of these still survive in the North Aral Sea, but some, such as the sturgeons, have been greatly reduced or even driven toextirpation by the lake's shrinkage. Native fish species of the lake included
All these fish aside from the stickleback lived ananadramous or semi-anadromous lifestyle.[16][17][18]
The salinity increase and drying of the lake led to thelocal extinction of the Aral trout, ruffe, Turkestan barbel, and all sturgeon species, and dams now block their return and migration routes; the Aral trout andSyr Darya sturgeon (Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi) may be extinct due to their restricted range.[17][19] All other native fish, barring the stickleback (which persisted during the lake's shrinkage and salinity increase), were also extirpated, but many have returned to theNorth Aral Sea following its recovery from the 1990s onwards.[16]
TheEuropean flounder (Platichthys flesus) was a saltwater fish introduced to the Aral Sea.Theblack carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) was a freshwater fish introduced to the Aral Sea.
The herring, sand smelt, and gobies were the firstplanktivorous fish in the lake, leading to a collapse of the lake'szooplankton population. This in turn caused a collapse of the herring and sand smelt population from which neither species has recovered.[16] All introduced species aside from the carp, snakehead, and (possibly) pipefish survived the lake's shrinkage and salinity increase, and during this time theEuropean flounder (Platichthys flesus) was introduced to revive fisheries. The extirpated species (aside from possibly the pipefish) returned to the North Aral Sea following its recovery. Herring, sand smelt, gobies and flounder persisted in theSouth Aral Sea until increasing salinity extirpated all but the gobies.[16]
Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), a former dominant member of the sea'sbenthic fauna that has since returned to theNorth Aral Sea.Parthenogenic brine shrimp (Artemia parthenogenetica), the dominant crustacean of theSouth Aral Sea and its fragments.
Many of these invertebrates had their numbers drastically reduced due to the introduced fish species. Later, during an unsuccessful attempt to introducemullet (Mugil sp.) to the Aral from theCaspian Sea, therockpool shrimp (Palaemon elegans) was inadvertently introduced to the sea. The shrimp is thought to be responsible for theextirpation of the near-endemic amphipodDikerogammarus aralensis, which now survives only in the Syr Darya basin. The copepodCalanipeda aquaedulcis was introduced to the Aral to replace the zooplankton species reduced by the herring population, and theNorth American mud crabRhithropanopeus harrisii was inadvertently introduced during this attempt as well.[16]
Later, as the lake's salinity increased, many of the freshwater-adapted species disappeared, only leaving behind the marine and saline species. However, the zooplankton population in the North Aral Sea has recovered as salinity has decreased from the 1990s onwards, with extirpated crustacean and rotifer species returning naturally via the Syr Darya River, at the expense of the saltwater species. The cladoceranMoina mongolica, extirpated by the introduced fish species, has also returned. The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha aralensis) has been reintroduced. In contrast, in the South Aral Sea only a fewnematodes, rotifers, andparthenogenic brine shrimp (Artemia parthenogenetica) exist. The future prospects for aquatic invertebrates in all remaining Aral Sea fragments depend on their future changes in salinity.[16]
First Russian boats on the Aral Sea, watercolor byTaras Shevchenko, 18481853 map of the Aral Sea
Climate shifts have driven multiple phases of sea-level rise and fall. Inflow rates from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya are affected by glacial melt rates at the rivers' headwaters as well as precipitation within the river basins; cold, dry climates restrict both processes.[21] Geologically driven shifts in the course of the Amu Darya between the Aral Sea and the Sarykamysh basins and anthropogenic water withdrawal from Amu Darya and Syr Darya have caused fluctuations in the Aral Sea's water level.[22] Artificial irrigation systems began in ancient times and continue to the present.[23][24] According toSergey Tolstov's theory, once Amu Darya was connected to Caspian sea, but this connection was broken by people 2500 years ago to feed the Aral Sea and irrigation system inKhorezm, more princely inKhiva and other cities in this region.[25]
The Aral Sea was part of the western frontier of the Chinese Empire during theTang dynasty.[26]
DuringMongol Invasion, Mongols destroyed the cities and waterworks, which led to changes in Amu Darya's route, or some of its branches, and refilling theLake Sarykamysh, that connected Caspian Sea again. Aral Sea region was divided between threeMongol Hordes: the Jochi orGolden Horde, theIlkhanids, and theChagatai.[25]
Muslim geographers, such asHafiz-i Abru, wrote about the disappearance of the Aral Sea in 1417 due to diversions in both theAmu Darya andSyr Darya.[22]
The Russian expedition ofAlexey Butakov performed the first observations of the Aral Sea in 1848. The first steamer arrived in the Aral Sea three years later. The Aral Sea fishing industry began with the Russian dealers Lapshin, Ritkin, Krasilnikov, and Makeev, which later formed major fishing unions.
Ships of Imperial Russian Navy's Aral Flotilla in the 1850s
Russian naval presence on the Aral Sea began in 1847 with the founding ofRaimsk, soon renamed Fort Aralsk, near the mouth of the Syr Darya. As the Aral Sea basin is not connected to other bodies of water, theImperial Russian Navy deployed its vessels by disassembling them inOrenburg on theUral River and transporting them overland to be reassembled at Aralsk. The first two ships, assembled in 1847, were the two-masted schoonersNikolai andMikhail. The former was a warship; the latter a merchant vessel to establish fisheries. They surveyed the northern part of the sea in 1848, the same year that a larger warship, theConstantine, was assembled. Commanded by Lt. Alexey Butakov (Алексей Бутаков), theConstantine completed the survey of the entire Aral Sea over the next two years.[27] Exiled Ukrainian poet and painterTaras Shevchenko participated in the expedition and produced a number of sketches.[28]
Map including the Aral Sea and surrounding region (DMA, 1979)
In 1851 two newly built steamers arrived from Sweden. The geological surveys had found no coal deposits in the area so the Military Governor-General of OrenburgVasily Perovsky ordered an "as large as possible supply" of saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron, a desert shrub akin to thecreosote bush) to be collected in Aralsk for the new steamers. Saxaul wood proved not to be a suitable fuel and in the later years the Aral Flotilla was provisioned, at substantial cost, by coal from theDonbas.[27]
Cotton picking nearKyzyl-Kala,KarakalpakstanTimeline of shrinkingSatellite images show the changing water levels in the Aral Sea from 2000 to 2018.
In the early 1960s,[29] as part of theSoviet government plan forcotton, or "white gold", to become a major export, the Amu Darya river in the south and the Syr Darya river in the east were diverted from feeding the Aral Sea to irrigate the desert in an attempt to growcotton,melons,rice andcereals.[30] This plan was initially successful, and by 1988, Uzbekistan was the world's largest exporter of cotton.[31] However to achieve these results farms relied heavily onagro-chemicals, includingdioxin, which was used even after banning. Farmers, including children, were intoxicated by these chemicals. Due to abuse, the soil crucially degraded.[25] Though production levels declined from its peak, cotton remainsUzbekistan's main cash crop, accounting for 17% of the country's exports in 2006.[32][33][34]
Large scale construction of irrigation canals first began in the 1930s and was greatly increased in the 1960s.[35] Many canals were poorly built, allowing leakage and evaporation. Between 30 and 75% of the water from theQaraqum Canal, the largest in Central Asia, went to waste.[30] It was estimated in 2012 that only 12% of Uzbekistan's irrigation canal length was waterproofed.[35] Only 28% of interfarm irrigation channels, and 21% of onfarm channels haveanti-infiltration linings, which retain on average 15% more water than unlined channels. Only 77% of farm intakes haveflow gauges.[36]
By 1960, between 20 and 60 km3 (4.8 and 14.4 cu mi) of water each year was going to the land instead of the Aral Sea and the sea began to recede. From 1961 to 1970, the Aral's level fell an average of 20 cm (7.9 in) per year. In the 1970s the rate nearly tripled to 50–60 cm (20–24 in) per annum, and in the 1980s to 80–90 cm (31–35 in) per annum. The amount of water taken for irrigation from the rivers doubled between 1960 and 2000. In the first half of the 20th century prior to the irrigation, the sea's water level above sea level held steady at 53 m. By 2010, the large Aral was 27 m and the small Aral 43 m above sea level.[37]
The disappearance of the lake was no surprise to the Soviets, they expected it to happen long before. As early as 1964, Aleksandr Asarin at theHydroproject Institute pointed out that the lake was doomed, explaining, "It was part of thefive-year plans, approved by thecouncil of ministers and thePolitburo. Nobody on a lower level would dare to say a word contradicting those plans, even if it was the fate of the Aral Sea."[38]
The reaction to the predictions varied. Some Soviet experts apparently considered the Aral to be "nature's error", and a Soviet engineer said in 1968, "it is obvious to everyone that the evaporation of the Aral Sea is inevitable."[39] On the other hand, starting in the 1960s, alarge-scale project was proposed to redirect part of the flow of the rivers of theOb basin to Central Asia over a gigantic canal system. Refilling of the Aral Sea was considered one of the project's main goals. However, due to its staggering costs and the negative public opinion inRussia proper, the federal authorities had abandoned the project by 1986.[40]
From 1960 to 1998, the sea's surface area shrank by 60%, and its volume by 80%. In 1960, the Aral Sea had been the world'sfourth-largest lake with an area of 68,000 km2 (26,000 sq mi) and a volume of 1,100 km3 (260 cu mi). By 1998, it had dropped to 28,687 km2 (11,076 sq mi) and eighth largest. Its salinity increased; having originally been 10 g/L,[41] by 1990 it was at 376 g/L.[6] (By comparison, seawater is typically 35 g/L, and theDead Sea between 300 and 350 g/L.)
In 1987, the lake split into two separate bodies of water: theNorth Aral Sea (the Lesser Sea, or Small Aral Sea) and theSouth Aral Sea (the Greater Sea, or Large Aral Sea). In June 1991, Uzbekistan gained independence from the Soviet Union.Craig Murray, UK ambassador to Uzbekistan in 2002, attributes the shrinkage of the Aral Sea in the 1990s to presidentIslam Karimov's cotton policy. The enormous irrigation system was massively wasteful,crop rotation was not used, and huge quantities ofpesticides andfertilizer were applied. The runoff from the fields washed these chemicals into the shrinking sea, creating severe pollution and health problems. As demand for cotton increased, the government applied more pesticides and fertilizer to themonocultured and depleted soil. Forced labor was used and profits were siphoned off by the powerful and well-connected.[42]
In 2003, the South Aral further divided into eastern and western basins. The waters in the deepest parts of the sea were saltier and didn't mix with the top waters, so only the top of the sea was heated in the summer, resulting in faster evaporation than had been predicted. A plan was announced for the recovery of the North Aral Sea by buildingDike Kokaral, a concrete dam separating the two halves of the Aral Sea.
In 2004, the sea's surface area was 17,160 km2 (6,630 sq mi), 25% of its original size, and a nearly fivefold increase in salinity had killed most of its flora and fauna. Dike Kokaral was completed in 2005 and, as of 2006, some recovery of sea level had been recorded.[43]
Aral Sea from space (north at bottom), August 1985
Aral Sea from space (north at bottom), August 1997
Aral Sea from space (north at top), August 2009
Aral Sea in August 2010, with part of the eastern basin reflooded from heavy snowmelt.
Aral Sea completely loses its eastern lobe in August 2014
Aral Sea from space, August 2017. Part of the eastern basin was reflooded from heavy snowmelt in 2015.
April 2018
Aral Sea once again completely loses its eastern lobe in October 2019
August 2021
Further area reductions in western lakes, as captured in May 2024
The Aral Sea is considered an example ofecosystem collapse.[44] Theecosystems of the Aral Sea and theriver deltas feeding into it have been nearly destroyed, largely because of the salinity being dramatically higher than ocean water.[6] The receding sea has left huge plains covered with salt and toxic chemicals fromweapons testing, industrial projects, and runoff of pesticides and fertilizer. Because of the shrinking water source and worsening water andsoil quality, pesticides were increasingly used from the 1960s to raise cotton yield, which further polluted the water with toxins (e.g.HCH,TCCD,DDT).[45] Industrial pollution also resulted inPCB and heavy-metal contamination.[46]
Owing to the insufficiency of water left in the Aral sea, concentrations of these pollutants rose drastically both in the remaining water and in the dry beds. This resulted in wind-borne toxic dust that spread quite widely. People living in the lower parts of the river basins and former shore zones ingested pollutants through drinking local water and inhaling contaminated dust.[47] Furthermore, due to absorption by plants and livestock, toxins — many of which bioaccumulate and are not easily broken down or excreted by the liver and kidneys — entered the food chain.[46] Inhabitants of the surrounding areas commonly experience a shortage of fresh water, andhealth problems are widespread — including high rates of certain cancers, respiratory illnesses includingtuberculosis (mostlydrug resistant), digestive disorders,anaemia, and infectious diseases. Liver, kidney, and eye problems may also be due to the toxic dust storms. Together, this presented an unusually high fatality rate among vulnerable age groups: child mortality stood at 75 per 1,000 in 2009, while maternal mortality was 12 in every 1,000.[48][49]
The dust storms have also contributed towater shortages through salt deposition.[50] Overusing pesticides on crops to preserve yields has exacerbated this.[50] Crops are destroyed where salt is deposited by the wind. The most heavily affected fields must be flushed with water four times per day to remove salt and toxic matter.[50] A 1998 study indicated that few crops (besidesfodder) tolerate the degradation, restricting whatKazakhstan farmers now choose to seed.[51]
Inland seas and lakes generally moderate a region's climate through humidification, regulation of thermal energy, and peri-winteralbedo effects.[52] Loss of water in the Aral Sea has changed surface temperatures and wind patterns. This has led to a broader annual temperature range (about a 4 to 12 °C broadening) and more dust in storms locally and regionally.[52]
The Aral Sea fishing industry, which at its peak employed some 40,000 and reportedly produced one-sixth of the Soviet Union's entire fish catch, has been devastated. In the 1980s commercial harvests were becoming unsustainable, and by 1987 commercial harvest became nonexistent. Due to the declining sea levels, salinity levels became too high for the 20 native fish species to survive. The only fish that could survive the high-salinity levels was flounder. Also, as water has receded, former fishing towns along the original shores have becomeship graveyards.[53]
Aral, originally the main fishing port, is now about 15 kilometres from the sea and has seen its population decline dramatically since the beginning of the crisis.[54] The town ofMoynaq in Uzbekistan had a thriving harbour and fishing industry that employed about 30,000 people;[55] now it lies 30–90 kilometres from the shore. Fishing boats lie scattered on the dry dusty land that was once covered by water; many have been there for 20 years.
The South Aral Sea remains too saline to host any species other thanhalotolerant organisms.[56] The South Aral has been incapable of supporting fish since the late 1990s, when the flounder were killed by rising salinity levels.[57]
Also destroyed is themuskrat-trapping industry in the deltas of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, which used to yield as many as 500,000 pelts a year.[38]
Local inhabitants are the most vulnerable population in this environmental health crisis due to the highly polluted and salinated water used for drinking and the dried seabed.[58] Toxic chemicals associated with pesticide use have been found in blood and breast milk of mothers; specifically organochlorides, polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs), DDT compounds, and TCDD.[45][46] These toxins can be, and often are, passed on to the children of these mothers, resulting in low birthweight and congenital abnormalities. The rate of infants being born with abnormalities is five times higher in this region than in European countries.[58] The Aral Sea region has 26% of its children born at low birthweight, which is two standard deviations away from a national population study gathered by the WHO.[59]
Exposures to toxic chemicals from the dry seabed and polluted water have caused other health issues in women and children. Renal tubular dysfunction has become a large health concern in children in the Aral Sea region as it is showing extremely high prevalence rates. Renal tubular dysfunction can also be related to growth and developmental stunting.[60] This, in conjunction with the already high rate of low-birthweight children and children born with abnormalities, contributes to severe negative health effects and outcomes for children. These issues are compounded by the lack of research on maternal and child health effects caused by the demise of the Aral Sea. For example, only 26 English-language peer-reviewed articles and four reports on children's health were produced between 1994 and 2008.[59] In addition, there is a lack of health infrastructure and resources in the Aral Sea region to combat the health issues that have arisen.[61]
There is a lack of medication and equipment in many medical facilities, so health professionals do not have access to the necessary supplies to do their jobs in the Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan regions.[61] There is also meager development of a health information system that would allow for extensive research or surveillance of emerging health issues due to Aral Sea issues.[61] An absence of a primary care approach in the health systems of this region also hinders services and access that could prevent and treat issues stemming from the Aral Sea crisis, especially in women and children.[61]
The impoverished are also particularly vulnerable to the environmental and health related effects of changes to the Aral Sea. These populations were most likely to reside downstream from the Basin and in former coastal communities.[62] They were also among the first to be detrimentally affected, representing at least 4.4 million people in the region.[62] Considered to have the worst health in this region, their plight was not helped when their fishery livelihoods vanished with the decreasing levels of water and loss of many aquatic species.[62] Thus, those in poverty are entrenched in a vicious cycle.
In March 2000, UNESCO presented their "Water-related vision for the Aral Sea basin for the year 2025".[67]
By 2006, theWorld Bank's restoration projects, especially in the North Aral, were giving rise to some unexpected, tentative relief in what had been an extremely pessimistic picture.[68]
Funded in part by theUnited Nations Development Programme, implementations in Kazakhstan such as laser levelling and irrigation optimization using energy-efficient technologies has shown effectiveness.[69]
The future of the Aral Sea and the responsibility for its survival are now in the hands of the five countries:Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan,Tajikistan,Kyrgyzstan, andTurkmenistan. In 1994, they adopted the Aral Sea Basin Programme[70] orASBP. The Programme's four objectives are:
To stabilize the environment of the Aral Sea Basin
To rehabilitate the disaster area around the sea
To improve the management of the international waters of the Aral Sea Basin
To build the capacity of institutions at the regional and national level to advance the programme's aims
The first phase of the plan effectively began with the first involvement from the World Bank in 1992, and was in operation until 1997. It was ineffectual for a number of reasons, but mainly because it was focused on improving directly the land around the Aral Sea, whilst not intervening in the water usage upstream. There was considerable concern amongst the Central Asian governments, which realised the importance of the Aral Sea in the ecosystem and the economy of Central Asia, and they were prepared to cooperate, but they found it difficult to implement the procedures of the plan.[citation needed]
This is due in part to a lack of co-operation among the affected people. The water flowing into the Aral Sea has long been considered an important commodity, and trade agreements have been made to supply the downstream communities with water in the spring and summer months for irrigation. In return, they supply the upstream countries with fuel during the winter, instead of storing water during the warm months for hydroelectric purposes in winter. However, very few legal obligations are binding these contracts, particularly on an international stage.[citation needed]
Phase Two of the Aral Sea Basin programme followed in 1998 and ran for five years. The main shortcomings of phase two were due to its lack of integration with the local communities involved. The scheme was drawn up by the World Bank, government representatives, and various technical experts, without consulting those who would be affected. An example of this was the public awareness initiatives, which were seen as propagandist attempts by people with little care or understanding of their situation. These failures have led to the introduction of a new plan, funded by a number of institutions, including the five countries involved and the World Bank.
In 1997, a new plan was conceived which would continue with the previous restoration efforts of the Aral Sea. The main aims of this phase are to improve the irrigation systems currently in place, whilst targeting water management at a local level. The largest project in this phase is the North Aral Sea Project, a direct effort to recover the northern region of the Aral Sea. The North Aral Sea Project's main initiative is the construction of a dam across the Berg Strait, a deep channel which connects the North Aral Sea to the South Aral Sea. The Kok-Aral Dam is 13 kilometres (8 miles) long and has capacity for over 29 cubic kilometres of water to be stored in the North Aral Sea, whilst allowing excess to overflow into the South Aral Sea.
On 6 October 2002, the Heads of States met again to revise the ASBP program. ASBP-2 was in place from 2003 to 2010. The main purpose of the ASBP-2 was to set up projects that covered a vast amount of environmental, socioeconomic and water management issues. The ASBP-2 was financed by organization such as the UNDP, World Bank, USAID, Asian Development Bank, and the governments of Switzerland, Japan, Finland, Norway and others. Over 2 billion US Dollars was provided by the IFAS country members to the program.[71]
On 28 April 2009, the Head of States came together with the Interstate commission for Water Coordination, Interstate Commission for Sustainable Development and National Experts and donors to develop the ASBP-3. This Program was in effect from 2011- 2015. The main purpose of the ASBP-3 was to improve the environmental and socio-economic situation of the Aral Sea Basin. The four program priorities were:[71]
Direction one: Integrated Use of Water Resources
Direction two: Environmental protection
Direction three: Socio-economic Development
Direction four: Improving the institutional and legal instruments
Direction One's main purpose is to propose program that focus on addressing transboundary water resources management, establishment of monitoring systems and addressing safety concerns in water facilities. Examples of programs that have been proposed include:[71]
"Developing proposals to optimize the management and use of water resources in Central Asia, taking into account environmental factors, effects of climate change to meet the national interests of the Aral Sea basin."
"Improving the quality of hydrometeorological services for weather-dependent sectors of the economy of Central Asia."
"Creating a database and computer models for the management of transboundary water resources."
"Assisting the countries in reducing the risk of natural disasters, including through the strengthening of regional cooperation, improve disaster preparedness and response."
Directions two's main focus is on addressing the issues related to environmental protection and improvement of the environment. Areas of interest include:[71]
"The environment in the deltas of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya improved."
"Mountain environments improved."
"The environment and productivity of pastures improved."
"A regional information system on the environment established."
Direction three looks to address socio-economic issues by focusing on education and public health, improving unemployment rates, improving water systems, increasing sustainable development and improving living conditions. The expected outputs are:[71]
"An improved access to safe drinking water."
"For the rural population: establishment and/or development of private small enterprises, creation of new jobs, and increased labor efficiency."
"An improvement in the quality of medical services"
"An improvement in the effectiveness and quality of education in schools and pre-school facilities in rural areas."
Direction Four aims to address issues related to institutional development and the development of policies and strategies that relate to sustainable development and public awareness. Expected outputs include:[71]
"Conditions for a transparent and mutually beneficial regional dialogue and cooperation, including setting up a sectorial dialogue between governments established."
"A Prototype of the single information and analysis system for the water sector established."
"A Communication Strategy for stakeholders and the public established."
"Training systems for the water sector and the hydrometeorological services in Central Asia improved."
Dike KokaralComparison of the North Aral Sea in 2000 and 2011.
Work is being done to restore in part the North Aral Sea. Irrigation works on the Syr Darya have been repaired and improved to increase its water flow, and in October 2003, the Kazakh government announced a plan to buildDike Kokaral, a concrete dam separating the two halves of the Aral Sea. Work on this dam was completed in August 2005; since then, the water level of the North Aral has risen, and its salinity has decreased. As of 2006[update], some recovery of sea level has been recorded, sooner than expected.[43] "The dam has caused the small Aral's sea level to rise swiftly to 38 m (125 ft), from a low of less than 30 m (98 ft), with 42 m (138 ft) considered the level of viability."[72]
Economically significant stocks of fish have returned, and observers who had written off the North Aral Sea as an environmental disaster were surprised by unexpected reports that, in 2006, its returning waters were already partly reviving the fishing industry and producing catches for export as far as Ukraine. The improvements to the fishing industry were largely due to the drop in the average salinity of the sea from 30 grams to 8 grams per liter; this drop in salinity prompted the return of almost 24 freshwater species.[53] The restoration also reportedly gave rise to long-absent rain clouds and possible microclimate changes, bringing tentative hope to an agricultural sector swallowed by a regionaldustbowl, and some expansion of the shrunken sea.[73]
The sea, which had receded almost 100 km (62 mi) south of the port-city ofAralsk, is now a mere 25 km (16 mi) away. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry stated that "The North Aral Sea's surface increased from 2,550 square kilometers (980 sq mi) in 2003 to 3,300 square kilometers (1,300 sq mi) in 2008. The sea's depth increased from 30 meters (98 ft) in 2003 to 42 meters (138 ft) in 2008."[2] Now, a second dam is to be built based on a World Bank loan to Kazakhstan, with the start of construction initially slated for 2009 and postponed to 2011, to further expand the shrunken Northern Aral,[74][failed verification] eventually reducing the distance to Aralsk to only 6 km (3.7 mi). Then, it was planned to build a canal spanning the last 6 km, to reconnect the withered former port of Aralsk to the sea.[75]
On 15 June 2021 the Central Communications Service of Kazakhstan announced that they plan to plantsaxaul trees on one million hectares of the drained bottom of the Aral Sea as part of efforts to stop dust storms on the region. Other efforts include expanding the sea's water mirror.[76]
The South Aral Sea, half of which lies in Uzbekistan, was abandoned to its fate. Most of Uzbekistan's part of the Aral Sea is completely shriveled up. Only excess water from the North Aral Sea is periodically allowed to flow into the largely dried-up South Aral Sea through asluice in the dike.[77] Discussions had been held on recreating a channel between the somewhat improved North and the desiccated South, along with uncertain wetland restoration plans throughout the region, but political will is lacking.[43] Unlike Kazakhstan, which has partially revived its part of the Aral Sea, Uzbekistan shows no signs of abandoning theAmu Darya river to irrigate their cotton, and is moving toward oil exploration in the drying South Aral seabed.[75]
Attempts to mitigate the effects ofdesertification include planting vegetation in the newly exposed seabed; however, intermittent flooding of the eastern basin is likely to prove problematic for any development. Redirecting what little flow there is from the Amu Darya to the western basin may salvage fisheries there while relieving the flooding of the eastern basin.[78] The reforestation is focused on plants adapted to desert conditions such asHaloxylon ammodendron,Ephedra strobilacea,Salsola species, andTamarix species. The eventual aim is to plant up to 200,000 hectares (490,000 acres) of forest in the Uzbekistan portion. The forest is intended to slow desertification and reduce the impact of sandstorms on nearby communities.[79]
The Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia (ICWC) was formed on 18 February 1992 to formally uniteKazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan andUzbekistan in the hopes of solving environmental, as well as socioeconomic problems in the Aral Sea region. The River Basin Organizations (the BVOs) of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers were institutions called upon by the ICWC to help manage water resources. According to the ICWC,[80] the main objectives of the body are:
River basin management
Water allocation without conflict
Organization of water conservation on transboundary water courses
Interaction with hydrometeorological services of the countries on flow forecast and account
Introduction of automation into head structures
Regular work on ICWC and its bodies' activity advancement
Interstate agreements preparation
International relations
Scientific research
Training
TheInternational Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) [ru] was developed on 23 March 1993, by the ICWC to raise funds for the projects under Aral Sea Basin programmes. The IFAS was meant to finance programmes to save the sea and improve on environmental issues associated with the basin's drying. This programme has had some success with joint summits of the countries involved and finding funding from the World Bank to implement projects; however, it faces many challenges, such as enforcement and slowing progress.[81]
Vozrozhdeniya (Russian forrebirth) Island is a formerisland of the Aral Sea orSouth Aral Sea. Due to the ongoing shrinkage of the Aral, it became first apeninsula in mid-2001 and finally part of themainland.[82] Other islands likeKokaral andBarsa-Kelmes shared a similar fate. Since the disappearance of the Southeast Aral in 2008, Vozrozhdeniya Island effectively no longer exists as a distinct geographical feature. The area is now shared byKazakhstan andUzbekistan.
In 1971, weaponized smallpox from the island reached a nearby ship, which then allowed the virus to spread to the city ofAral. Ten people there were infected, of whom three died, and a massive vaccination effort involving 50,000 inhabitants ensued (seeAral smallpox incident). The bioweapons base was abandoned in 1992 following thedisintegration of the Soviet Union the previous year. Scientific expeditions proved this had been a site for production, testing and later dumping ofpathogenic weapons. In 2002, through a project organized by the United States and with Uzbekistan's assistance, 10anthrax burial sites were decontaminated. According to the Kazakh Scientific Center for Quarantine and Zoonotic Infections, all burial sites of anthrax were decontaminated.[84]
The plight of the Aral coast was portrayed in the 1989 filmStray Dogs by Soviet director Dmitri Svetozarov.[87] The film was shot on location in an actualghost town located near the Aral Sea, showing scenes of abandoned buildings and scattered vessels.
In 2000, the MirrorMundo foundation produced a documentary film calledDelta Blues about the problems arising from the drying up of the sea.[88]
In June 2007,BBC World broadcast adocumentary calledBack from the Brink? made by Borna Alikhani and Guy Creasey, which showed some of the changes in the region since the introduction of the Aklak Dam.
In 2012 Christoph Pasour and Alfred Diebold produced an 85-minute film with the titleFrom the Glaciers to the Aral Sea which shows the water management system in the Aral Sea basin and in particular the situation around the Aral Sea. The film was first screened at the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille, France, in 2012 and was available on the website waterunites-ca.org[89] and on Alfred Diebold's YouTube channelwaterunitesca.[90]
In October 2013,Al Jazeera produced adocumentary film calledPeople of the Lake, directed by Ensar Altay, describing the current situation.[91]
In 2014, director Po Powell shot much of the footage for thePink Floyd single "Louder than Words" video near the remains of the Aral Sea on the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.[92]
In October 2018, theBBC produced a programme calledFashion's Dirty Secrets, a large part of which shows the extent of the shrinking Aral and its consequences.[93]
In 2024, Daniel Asadi Faezi and Mila Zhluktenko directed a short film titledAralkum, which explores the transformation of the Aral Sea into a desert. Published on the Emergence Magazine website, the film portrays the haunting landscape of theAralkum Desert, which emerged after the Soviet Union diverted the Aral Sea's tributaries for agricultural irrigation. It highlights the environmental consequences of the sea's depletion, such as the desolate ecosystem and the struggles of the remaining inhabitants along the former shoreline.[94]
^Middleton, Nick; "The Aral Sea" in Shahgedanova Maria;The Physical Geography of Northern Eurasia; pp. 497-498
^Velichko, Andrey and Spasskaya, Irina; "Climatic Change and the Development of Landscapes" in Shahgedanova Maria;The Physical Geography of Northern Eurasia; pp. 48-50
^abcEdelstein, Michael R.; Cerny, Astrid; Gadaev, Abror, eds. (2012).Disaster by design: disappearance of the Aral Sea, dry run for the emerging climate crisis. Research in social problems and public policy. Bingley: Emerald.ISBN978-1-78190-375-9. pp. 107-108
^Micklin, Philip (December 2017). "The past, present, and future Aral Sea".Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management.15 (3):193–213.doi:10.1111/j.1440-1770.2010.00437.x.
^O'Hara, Sarah; Wiggs, Giles; Mamedov, Batyr; Davidson, George; Hubbard, Richard (19 February 2000). "Exposure to airborne dust contaminated with pesticide in the Aral Sea region".The Lancet.355 (9204):627–628.doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(99)04753-4.PMID10696990.S2CID42980999.
^Mętrak M. Health and social consequences of the Aral Lake disaster. In: Chwil M., Skoczylas M.M. (red.). Contemporary research on the state of the environment and the medicinal use of plants. Lublin: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego w Lublinie, pp. 99-108. Accessible in:https://wydawnictwo.up.lublin.pl/e-ksiazka
^Saiko, Tatyana (1998). "Geographical and socio-economic dimensions of the Aral Sea crisis and their impact on the potential for community action".Journal of Arid Environments.39 (2): 230.Bibcode:1998JArEn..39..225S.doi:10.1006/jare.1998.0406.
Ellis, William S (February 1990). "A Soviet Sea Lies Dying".National Geographic. pp. 73–93.
Ermakhanov, Zaualkhan K.; Plotnikov, Igor S.; Aladin, Nikolay V.; Micklin, Philip (28 February 2012). "Changes in the Aral Sea ichthyofauna and fishery during the period of ecological crisis".Lakes & Reservoirs: Research and Management.17 (1):3–9.Bibcode:2012LRRM...17....3E.doi:10.1111/j.1440-1770.2012.00492.x.
Sirjacobs, Damien; Grégoire, Marilaure; Delhez, Eric; Nihoul, JCJ (2004). "Influence of the Aral Sea negative water balance on its seasonal circulation patterns: use of a 3D hydrodynamic model".Journal of Marine Systems.47 (1–4):51–66.Bibcode:2004JMS....47...51S.doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2003.12.008.hdl:2268/2793.
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