Aral Sea

News: The Aral Sea is discussed due to long-term human-induced environmental damage caused by river diversion for agriculture during the Soviet period.

About Aral Sea

• Aral Sea is an endorheic salt lake, meaning it’s a closed basin with no outflow to the ocean.
• Borders: It marks the border between Kazakhstan to the north and Uzbekistan to the south.
• It was once served as a vast saltwater lake in Central Asia and ranked as the world’s fourth largest inland water body.
• Formation: The Aral Sea depression emerged towards the conclusion of the Neogene Period, spanning from approximately 23 to 2.6 million years ago.
• Climate: It is known for its harsh climate with hot summers, cold winters, and temperature changes throughout the day.
• Important river: The two rivers that feed the Sea are the Amu Darya from the south and the Syr Darya from the north.
• Drainage: It encompasses drainage from Uzbekistan and parts of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Kyrgyzstan.
• Salinity: Due to high evaporation and lack of outflow, its salt content became extremely high, killing off freshwater fish.
• Historical collapse
  • From the 1950s onward, the Soviet government promoted large-scale cotton farming by diverting the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, which sharply reduced water reaching the Sea, causing a rapid fall in water level from the 1960s.
  • Environmental Degradation: Over half a century, the Aral Sea lost about 60,000 sq. km, nearly 90 % of its total area, a crisis termed by the United Nations as “the dry tears of the Aral.”
• Restoration Efforts: Restoration efforts now focus on regional projects, including the Kok-Aral Dam in Kazakhstan and water-saving irrigation initiatives in the Amu Darya delta to reduce agricultural water use.