Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan both share the Aral Sea, a body of water that is steadily disappearing. A picture of ecological and health effects of Soviet eco-engineering, the Aral Sea has been constantly changing. The Soviet Government took 1940’s payday loans of water from the Aral Sea. Since the 1960’s, the Aral Sea water level has been consistently dropping.
History of Aral Sea changes
As a part of the “Great Plan in advance for the Transformation of Nature”, the soviet government built hundreds of miles of canals that diverted up to 60 cubic kilometers of water per year from the Aral Sea. Before these canals were built, the Aral Sea had an area of 68,000 square kilometers. The goal of this plan in advance was to irrigate desert cropland to grow crops like cereal, melons, cotton, and rice. As a result of this plan, Uzbekistan is now a world-class cotton exporter.
Shrinking of the Aral Sea
Since the Soviet government saw agriculture as the best loans for people with bad credit, they diverted water from the Aral Sea. However, after twenty years of diversion, the Aral Sea started shrinking. The disappearance of the Aral Sea was a combination of several factors. Water diverted for agriculture at increasing rates was a major cause. Evaporation also caused a significant drop within the Aral Sea. Lastly, a project intended to refill the Aral sea was abandoned in 1986. By 2004, the Aral Sea had split into three separate lakes that are less than 25% of the original size of the Aral Sea.
Ecological and economic impacts of the Aral Sea
The area around the Aral Sea was a center of commerce and fishing. The fishing industry has since practically disappeared. The salt level of the Aral Sea has risen to the point of toxicity. The polluted water and ground under the Aral Sea also blow up into very deadly dust storms. The Aral Sea shrinking has also been blamed in the extreme temperature changes in the area.
Repairing the levels of the Aral Sea
Some groups are working to restore the Aral Sea. Some countries within the area have promised money to help the World Bank and UNESCO restore the Aral Sea. Major projects have increased the sea depth by about 98 feet, though the likelihood the Aral Sea will return to its former glory are minimal.
Resources:
AP News
Aral Sea Foundation
