Aral Sea: Pictures of the Aral Sea shrinking in Uzbekistan

Steadily disappearing since the 1960’s, the Aral Sea is between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. A picture of ecological and health effects of Soviet eco-engineering, the Aral Sea has been constantly changing. In the 1940’s, the Soviet government took the equivalent of payday loans of water from the two rivers that fed the Aral Sea in attempt to water desert crops. Since the 1960’s, the Aral Sea water level has been consistently dropping.

History of Aral Sea changes

The “Great Prepare for the Transformation of Nature” was the Soviet government’s plan that called for canals to be built to divert water from the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea covered 68,000 sq km of land. The eventual goal of this prepare was to grow rice, grains, melons, cotton, and other crops. Uzbekistan has used the Aral Sea diversion to become a world-class cotton exporter.

Aral Sea shrinks constantly

Since the Soviet government saw agriculture as the best loans for people with bad credit, they diverted water from the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea started shrinking after twenty years of diversion. The disappearance of the Aral Sea was a combination of several factors. Water diverted for agriculture at increasing rates was a major cause. The Aral Sea also dropped because of evaporation. A big project intended to refill the Aral Sea was also left behind in 1986. By 2004, the Aral Sea was less than one-quarter its original size.

Impacts of the Aral Sea

The area around the Aral Sea had been 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. Because of industrial, chemical, and agricultural pollution that ran to the Aral Sea, the dirt and dust now blows into toxic dust storms. There are also theories that the loss of the sea has caused severe climate change in the area.

Restoring the Aral Sea

Some groups have been working to restore the Aral Sea. Some countries in the area have promised cash to help the World Bank and UNESCO restore the Aral Sea. About 98 feet of depth has been restored to the Aral Sea in the last 5 years or so.

Sources:

AP News

Aral Sea Foundation