the aral sea
From lake to desert in 50 years
The drying of the Aral Sea is a monumental blow to nature, caused by human activity and the overexploitation of limited water resources in Central Asia.
The Aral Sea is located in western Central Asia, between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and has a long history. Until the 1960s, it was one of the largest lakes on the planet. Sixty years ago, the Aral Sea was the fourth-largest lake in the world, twelve times the size of Lake Vänern. Since then, more than 75% of its surface area and 90% of its water have disappeared, leaving mile after mile of dried, salt-laden lakebed. This was caused by large-scale cotton cultivation with massive irrigation systems, implemented to make the Soviet Union self-sufficient in cotton. Water was taken from the two rivers that flow into the Aral Sea, originally one-third from the Syr Darya and two-thirds from the Amu Darya. Through systematic diversion of river water to highly inefficient irrigation systems, the Aral Sea lost almost its entire water supply, leading to its rapid desiccation.
Today, the Aral Sea is divided into several smaller lakes. Only the northernmost, the Northern Aral Sea, now receives a stable inflow of water and can once again support fish. The other lakes have salinity levels too high to sustain any life.
Many of us have seen the striking and alarming images of large fishing boats stranded in a vast desert of sand. The human tragedies that follow in the wake of this disaster have not been depicted as clearly. Unemployment, poverty, and disease have taken hold in the once-thriving coastal areas. Large amounts of dried salt, fertilizers, and pesticides that accumulated over decades are now carried by the wind, contaminating the soil, air, and groundwater. Fishing has disappeared, factories have closed, and schools and healthcare services have been depleted. To some extent, the countries have invested in the region, improving conditions somewhat, but the situation has also led to migration to other areas.
We still do not know the full extent of the damage to the ecosystems or the effects on food, drinking water, and the spread of diseases that follow in the wake of poverty and environmental degradation. Women and children have been hit the hardest. Child mortality was among the highest in the entire former Soviet Union. Anemia is also common among children and pregnant women, making childbirth often complicated. Antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis is a problem, and Médecins Sans Frontières operates several clinics in the region.
The stabilization of the Northern Aral Sea is an important goal for Kazakhstan, and plans are underway to raise the water level further with additional dams. In the region, this area – still only about 10% of the former water surface – is of great importance: crucial for the environment, local water availability, and the local fishing industry.
The sand and dust storms from the dry lakebed are perhaps the issue most closely associated with the Aral Sea in the region. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are running projects to plant shrubs and trees in what is now a desert. It is a challenging task, but prioritized because it helps reduce the troublesome salt-laden storms, which can travel great distances.
In Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, both downstream countries, there are concerns about future water availability. Uzbekistan expects to have 10% less water available by 2030. Climate change and water usage in Afghanistan are the main causes. In Kazakhstan, it is reported that as much as 580,000 hectares (out of about 1.9 million hectares) now use water-saving irrigation technology. In Uzbekistan, media report that the corresponding area is 1.4 million hectares (out of a total of 4.2 million hectares). Water-intensive rice cultivation is being regulated. It is also important that canals are lined with concrete to prevent water loss along the way. However, according to plans, the saved water seems likely to be primarily used for new irrigation.
The future climate is a crucial factor for both water availability and demand. It is clear that temperatures have risen. Predicting future precipitation levels is more difficult, but there is an increased risk of extreme weather, including both droughts and floods, which could threaten food production.
Governments and international projects have achieved some progress in addressing the negative social and health impacts. Healthcare programs and clinics have been established, along with initiatives to reduce the spread of diseases in affected areas. Water purification projects and the distribution of bottled water have been implemented in the most polluted areas. Support for local communities to create new jobs and educational programs is ongoing. The UN, World Bank, EU, and bilateral collaborations have provided financial support to the region for social development, as well as to strengthen the rights of children and women.
However, “environmental refugees” are still leaving the areas that were once closest to the Aral Sea.
The drying of the Aral Sea is one of the harshest blows to nature in our time, caused by human activity. It starkly illustrates the consequences of short-term exploitation of natural resources. The decisions that led to the disaster must be replaced with measures that restore the health of the Aral Sea region’s inhabitants and enable them to once again sustain themselves from the once highly productive ecosystems.
