Case Study: The Aral Sea
Transcript of Case Study: The Aral Sea
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Case Study: The Aral Sea
• The Aral Sea was once the 5th largest lake on Earth.
• It was fed by two rivers that flowed down from the Himalayas
• It sustained a vibrant fishing industry.
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Soviet Union Cotton Fields • Starting in the 1940’s, the Soviet Union decided that it
needed to grow enough cotton for “self-sufficiency”.
• Cotton requires hot temperatures and lots of water. So, they diverted two rivers that fed the Aral Sea to irrigate cotton fields.
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Aral Sea Starts to Shrink
• In this arid environment, the Aral Sea began to quickly evaporate without the rivers feeding it.
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This Created an Ecological Disaster On A Horrific Scale
• The fishing villages were left stranded miles from shore, along with their boats.
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A Desperate Attempt
• They tried to dig a canal to allow the fishing boats to make it to a deeper section of the lake, but they didn’t make it in time.
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An Ecological Disaster • Cotton requires a lot of pesticides. DDT and other chemicals
were sprayed heavily and it then flowed into the Aral Sea.
• Today, DDT laden dust blows out of the old lake bed and into the communities. Birth defects, cancer, and other diseases are very common.
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Aral Sea Decline in Just 10 Years
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Aral Sea Dust Storm
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Climate Effects
• The Aral Sea once offered moderating effects by absorbing sunlight in summer to cool the desert and releasing heat in winter to warm the cold winters.
• Today, it’s loss impacts the ability to even grow cotton in the region with a shorter growing season.
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Can the Aral Sea Be Saved?
• With the Soviet Union gone, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were left to deal with the mess.
• Uzbekistan decided to diverted the Amu Darya River completely, preventing any water from flowing into the southern part of the lake.
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Potential International Conflict
• With Uzbekistan deciding to divert the river completely and letting the lake dry up, Kazakhstan was left with most to lose, as prevailing winds blow the dust northward.
• Kazakhstan became very angry with its neighbor, but decided to act on the part they could control.
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Kazakhstan Takes Action • Kazakhstan instead increased the amount of
river water feeding the lake (diverting less)
• Kazakhstan made a decision to save the northern part of the lake by building a 7-mile dam across a narrow strip of land.
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North Aral Sea
• The North Aral Sea has now grown by 30% since the dam was built in 2003
• Fish are coming back and they hope to revive the fishing industry.
• Dust storms are milder and winter warmer in the vicinity of the northern lake.
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It’ll Never Be The Same
• But, at least some small portion (about 10%) of the Aral Sea will be saved.