Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan both share the Aral Sea, a body of water that is steadily disappearing. The Aral Sea provides a picture of effects of Soviet eco-engineering. In the 1940’s, the Soviet government took the equivalent of payday loans. The water level of the Aral Sea has been dropping since then.
History of Aral Sea changes
The Soviet government started building canals to divert up to 60 cubic km per year as part of the “Great Prepare for the Transformation of Nature”. The Aral Sea covered 68,000 sq km of land. The goal of this plan was to irrigate desert cropland to grow crops like cereal, melons, cotton, and rice. The preparation was partially successful, as Uzbekistan is now one of the world’s largest cotton exporters.
Shrinkage of the Aral Sea
The Aral Sea was diverted as part of the Soviet Government’s loans for people with bad credit. The Aral Sea started shrinking after twenty years of diversion. . The water dropped extensively when more water was diverted for agriculture. Natural evaporation also caused the Aral Sea to drop. In 1986, a Russian attempt to refill the Aral Sea was abandoned. The original size of the Aral Sea was diminished by over 3/4.
The area around the Aral Sea had been a center of commerce and fishing. The fishing economy has practically disappeared since the Aral Sea started dropping. Toxicity of the Aral Sea has also increased because of increasing salt levels. Because of industrial, chemical, and agricultural pollution that ran into the Aral Sea, the dirt and dust now blows into toxic dust storms. Some theorize that severe climate change in the area can also be blamed on the Aral Sea.
Improving the state of the Aral Sea
The Aral Sea has benefited some from the work of groups trying to restore the water levels. The World Bank and UNESCO, as well as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have all put cash towards Aral Sea restoration. Major projects have increased the sea depth by about 98 feet, though the likelihood how the Aral Sea will return to its former glory are minimal.
Resources:
AP News
Aral Sea Foundation
