Case Study: Aral Sea
Once known as the fourth largest inland body of water (68,000 km squared), the Aral Sea is now well-known for being one of the planet’s 'greatest environmental disasters'. It is located in central Asia, surrounded by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It was after World War II, when the Soviet Union, the people who controlled that area of land back in 1960, when the sea began to shrink.
This was because the Soviet Union wanted significant economic change; they soon began a cotton monoculture where they used the water from the Anu Darya and Syr Darya—the two rivers that were the main source of water to the Aral Sea. The Soviet Union diverted the water that fed the sea for irrigation purposes and by 1997, the sea split into two for it had shrunk by 10%. As of 2010, 50 years after the irrigation plan was put into place, the sea had shrunk by 90% despite efforts to save the Aral Sea. What once was a lively place for trade and tourists, has now become deserted.
This was because the Soviet Union wanted significant economic change; they soon began a cotton monoculture where they used the water from the Anu Darya and Syr Darya—the two rivers that were the main source of water to the Aral Sea. The Soviet Union diverted the water that fed the sea for irrigation purposes and by 1997, the sea split into two for it had shrunk by 10%. As of 2010, 50 years after the irrigation plan was put into place, the sea had shrunk by 90% despite efforts to save the Aral Sea. What once was a lively place for trade and tourists, has now become deserted.
The reason for the decreasing population around the Aral Sea is due to the public health issues it had and has been inducing. After the water levels began to decrease and dry up, it left behind salt, industrial waste and pesticides. The wind would pick up these toxins and minerals, and sent them to neighbouring areas that affected crops and caused health problems for local residents; as inhaling it was bad for the lungs, cause diseases and nutritional deficiencies. Research shows that the infant mortality rates in the Aral Sea region have increased from about 25 per 1000 live births in 1950 to 70-100 per 1000 in 1996.
The Aral Sea is currently unsustainable and water scarcity is a large problem there. Unfortunately, apart from the plan to rehabilitate and resurrect the Aral Sea in 2008—which only partially succeeded, there have been no other plans for the Aral Sea ever since.
The Aral Sea is currently unsustainable and water scarcity is a large problem there. Unfortunately, apart from the plan to rehabilitate and resurrect the Aral Sea in 2008—which only partially succeeded, there have been no other plans for the Aral Sea ever since.
Figure 4: http://www.mirutadelaseda.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/P9233080-Moynaq-Nukus-Aral-sea-mar-central-asia-uzbekistan-ecology-disaster-desastre-ecol%C3%B3gico-sostenibilidad-sustainability.jpg
Figure 5: http://www.columbia.edu/~tmt2120/aral_sea_2006.jpg
Figure 5: http://www.columbia.edu/~tmt2120/aral_sea_2006.jpg