The Aral Sea was once a vast inland lake that straddles the borders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. Fed by two major rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, it was a critical water source for local communities that supported a thriving fishing industry and irrigated the surrounding farmland.
However, the Soviet Union’s move to increase cotton production in the region in the mid-20th century led to a change in the course of the rivers that feed the Aral Sea. Water was diverted to irrigate cotton plantations and as a result the lake began to shrink. Over the next few decades the Aral Sea lost 60% of its surface and over 80% of its volume, becoming more salinized and polluted in the process.
The disappearance of the Aral Sea has profoundly affected the region and its people. The loss of the lake’s fishing industry, once the main source of livelihood for many communities, has led to widespread poverty and unemployment. The increased salinity of the residual water also led to the decline of agriculture in the region as the water became unsuitable for irrigation.
In addition to these economic consequences, the disappearance of the Aral Sea also had serious environmental consequences. The drying up of the lake created a dust bowl, which was blown into the air by the wind, causing widespread health problems such as respiratory diseases and lung cancer. The high salinity and level of pollutants in the remaining water contaminates the soil and groundwater, affecting the health of local residents and their ability to grow crops.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, efforts to restore the Aral Sea began in the 1990s. The Kazakh government built a dam to separate the northern part of the lake from the southern part and it was considered beyond repair. This allowed the northern part to gradually fill with fresh water and today the North Aral Sea is once again a thriving ecosystem that supports a small fishing industry and irrigates the surrounding farmland.
Despite these efforts, the Aral Sea remains a cautionary tale about the devastating effects of human intervention on the natural environment. A once-great lake works on the importance of balancing economic development with environmental protection and the need to consider the long-term consequences of our actions.