Urgent: Central Asia’s Environmental Crisis Deepens as the Aral Sea Dries Up

The Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth-largest lake, has been shrinking drastically since the 1960s. Located between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, this lake has become a symbol of environmental disaster in Central Asia.

A report by Anadolu Agency for World Wetlands Day titled “Once a Lake, Now a Desert” discusses the Aral Sea’s history, the reasons for its decline, and the efforts to address this crisis.

During the Soviet era, the region was transformed into a cotton production zone. The acreage for agriculture soared from 4.5 million to 7 million hectares, increasing the need for water from the rivers that fed the lake, the Syr Darya and Amu Darya. This diversion of water led to a sharp reduction in the lake’s size.

Before the 1960s, these rivers delivered a significant amount of water: 38.6 cubic kilometers from the Amu Darya and 14.5 cubic kilometers from the Syr Darya each year. However, as water was diverted for irrigation, the Aral Sea began to dry up quickly. By the early 2020s, its area had shrunk from 68,000 square kilometers to only 8,000 square kilometers, and its water volume plummeted from 1,083 cubic kilometers to 75 cubic kilometers.

The lake split into two parts: one in Uzbekistan and one in Kazakhstan. As the water retreated, over 300 islands were left stranded, merging into the land around them.

With the Aral Sea’s disappearance, a new desert, the Aralkum Desert, formed over more than 4 million hectares of the former lakebed. Each year, around 100 million tons of salt-laden dust are blown away by sandstorms, contributing to worsening environmental conditions.

This dust has even been found in far-off places like the Pamir Mountains, where it accelerates glacier melting. The drying lake has caused soil erosion and increased air pollution, creating serious health risks and threatening the lives of nearly 3 million people in the nearby area.

In Muynak, once a bustling fishing town, the shoreline has receded by over 100 kilometers. Agricultural land is now too salty to sustain crops, leading many to leave in search of work.

Once, the Aral Sea was home to diverse wildlife, including over 300 plant species and 70 animal species. Now, many of these species have vanished. The lake supported 34 fish species, but due to rising salinity, almost all aquatic life has been wiped out. Fishing businesses have shut down, and derelict boats now dot the barren lakebed.

The former Vozrozhdeniya Island, once a site for Soviet biological weapons testing, has now connected to the mainland as the water receded.

The economic impact of the lake’s drying is staggering, with losses around $100 million each year. Regional governments are taking steps to revive the area, including planting trees on the exposed land to stabilize the soil and combat dust storms.

In Uzbekistan, efforts to plant drought-resistant trees like saxaul and tamarisk have gained momentum. A 2017 project established a “green belt” stretching 70 kilometers across the dry land to help reduce dust and salt dispersal. Officials aim to reforest much of the dried lakebed within a decade.

So far, about 2 million hectares out of 3.2 million in Uzbekistan have been replanted. These initiatives have already improved local environmental conditions by curbing dust storms.

The situation surrounding the Aral Sea is a stark reminder of ecological challenges, but ongoing efforts provide a glimmer of hope for recovery.