By: Travis Holm Figure 1. Aral Sea worldwide location. Source: north/index.html&usg=__wtmAPOBe3f8Gdmv1e0wK9wErfBA=&h=571&w=650&sz=129&hl=en&start=16&sig2=Owsa1rjszOeOZ3iwNYBuag&um=1&tbnid=a2QBpCFWH- dVcM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAral%2BSea%2BMap%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26um%3D1&ei=WUraSpbGIoz-M6u_3d0H

The Aral Sea Location:  The Aral Sea lies between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan in the south (“Aral sea -,” 2006)  Once the world's fourth-largest inland saline body of water with an area of 68,000 km, the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960’s, after the rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya that fed it were diverted by Soviet Union irrigation projects (“Aral sea -,” 2006) Figure 2. Aral Sea location. Source:

The Aral Sea Facts:  Inland salt-water sea (OrexCA.com creative group, )  No outlet (OrexCA.com creative group, )  Amu Darya & Syr Darya rivers used to hold the Aral’s water and salt levels in perfect balance (OrexCA.com creative group, )  Before Soviet domination, economy was based on large-scale fisheries, livestock-breeding and agriculture (Delany)  In ’s the fish catch from the Aral Sea was 40,000 tons (Delany) Figure ’s, Fishing boats, Aral Sea. Source:

The Aral Sea Facts:  1960's, the Soviet government wanted to be self-sufficient in: Cotton production (OrexCA.com creative group, ) Rice production (OrexCA.com creative group, )  Large dams were built across both rivers, and an 850-mile central canal with a far-reaching system of "feeder" canals was created (OrexCA.com creative group, ) Figure , Aral Sea. Source:

The Aral Sea Facts:  Over the next 30 years: Experienced severe drop in water level (OrexCA.com creative group, ) Shoreline receded (OrexCA.com creative group, ) The salt content increased (OrexCA.com creative group, ) Major health issues arrived (OrexCA.com creative group, )  The marine environment became hostile: Killing the plants (OrexCA.com creative group, ) Killing the animals (OrexCA.com creative group, ) Figure , Aral Sea. Source:

The Aral Sea Facts:  Estimated 60,000 people abandoned their fishing livelihoods (Owen, 2001)  Commercial fishing ceased in 1982, and soon muskrat farms and other game trades followed suit (Owen, 2001)  Of the region’s 500 species of birds, 200 species of mammals, and 100 species of fish most have perished over the past four decades (Owen, 2001) Figure , Aral Sea. Source: content/uploads/2009/03/aral_sea_1989_250m-579x1024.jpg

The Aral Sea Facts:  As the water quantity decreased, the salinity rose to toxic levels for fish and other wildlife, caused by irrigation and massive amounts of pesticides used in cotton fields (Owen, 2001): The first drastic increase occurred between 1971 and 1975 when salinity rose to 12-14% (Owen, 2001) In the late 1980’s the salinity reached 23% (Owen, 2001) Figure 7. Abandoned fishing boats, Aral Sea. Source:

Health Crisis Facts:  Due to a strong NE wind, 100 million + tons of salty dust blows away from the sea annually which contains (Owen, 2001): Unhealthy mix of fertilizers & other agricultural chemicals (Owen, 2001) Household waste (Owen, 2001)  Groundwater contaminants (Owen, 2001): Salt (Owen, 2001) Pesticides (Owen, 2001)  Hospitalization rates increased from 20 to 25 per 100 persons between 1980 and 1987 (Owen, 2001)  Mortality rates have increased by 15 times in a ten year period, and diseases that have risen significantly (Owen, 2001): Cardiac (Owen, 2001) Gallstone (Owen, 2001) Vascular (Owen, 2001) Tuberculosis (Owen, 2001) Figure , Contaminated water, Aral Sea region. Source:

The Aral Sea Facts:  The rise in child mortality has been attributed to environmental deterioration and now ranks highest in the former Soviet Union (Owen, 2001)  An estimated five million people have been devastated by the Aral Sea disaster (Owen, 2001) Figure , Aral Sea. Source: NtTu8w/s1600-h/aral_sea_2000.jpg

The Aral Sea Facts:  At least a quarter of its population lives below the poverty line (Reuters, 2008)  The average monthly income is three times below that of Kazakhstan financial capital Almaty (Reuters, 2008)  Average life expectancy is 66 years compared to 70 in Almaty (Reuters, 2008) Figure , Aral Sea. Source: OkKzE/s1600-h/aral_sea_2006.jpg

The Aral Sea: What now?  Kazakhstan pledged to restore its portion of the Aral Sea when it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 (Reuters, 2008)  The first phase of a World Bank restoration project is due to be completed at the end of 2008 (Reuters, 2008)  Total cost is $86 million, including a $64.5 million World Bank loan to the Kazakhstan government (Reuters, 2008) Figure , Aral Sea. Source: UaxZKCLI/s1600-h/aral_sea_2009.jpg

The Aral Sea: Restoration  To secure the northern Kazakhstan pocket of the Aral Sea at 42 meters above Baltic Sea level (Reuters, 2008)  Improve ecological conditions in the area (Reuters, 2008)  The project includes construction of the Kok-Aral dike (pictured above) which separates the northern sea from the southern part, and several hydraulic structures on the Syr Darya river (Reuters, 2008) Figure 12. North Aral Sea dike. Source: jpg Figure 13. North Aral Sea dike. Source: 01B _468x286.jpg

 Similar efforts have been impossible in Uzbekistan, where most river water is still directed to cotton production -- one of the main pillars of the Uzbek economy (Reuters, 2008)  The south part continues to shrink (Reuters, 2008)  Experts, including the World Bank, doubt the Aral Sea will ever be restored to its original size (Reuters, 2008) Figure 14. Aral Sea shore. Source:

Bibliography Aral Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2006, July 18). Retrieved October 17, 2009, from Wikipedia: Delany, M. (n.d.). Aral sea. Retrieved November 16, 2009, from group, O. c. ( ). The history of the aral sea. Retrieved November 16, 2009, from Owen, J. (2001). The water page. Retrieved November 16, 2009, from Africanwater.org: Reuters. (2008, June 24). Factbox. Retrieved November 16, 2009, from reuters.com:

Photographs (2005, Figure 1). [Photograph of Aral Sea worldwide location]. [Online Image]. Retrieved October 17, 2009, from north/index.html&usg=__wtmAPOBe3f8Gdmv1e0wK9wErfBA=&h=571&w=650&sz=129&hl=en&start=16&sig2=Owsa1rjszOeOZ3iw NYBuag&um=1&tbnid=a2QBpCFWH- dVcM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAral%2BSea%2BMap%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox- a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26um%3D1&ei=WUraSpbGIoz-M6u_3d0H (Figure 2). [Photograph of Aral Sea location]. [Online Image]. Retrieved October 17, 2009, from (Figure 3). [Photograph of 1960’s, Fishing boats, Aral Sea]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from (1964, Figure 4). [Photograph of Aral Sea]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from content/uploads/2008/08/aral-sea-1964.jpg (1973, Figure 5). [Photograph of Aral Sea]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from images/Environment/Pix/pictures/2008/08/01/AralSea460.jpg (1989, Figure 6). [Photograph of Aral Sea]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from (Figure 7). [Photograph of Abandoned fishing boats, Aral Sea]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from (2001, Figure 8). [Photograph of Contaminated water, Aral Sea region]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from (2000, Figure 9). [Photograph of Aral Sea]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from

Photographs (2006, Figure 10). [Photograph of Aral Sea]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from (2009, Figure 11). [Photograph of Aral Sea]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from (Figure 12). [Photograph of North Aral Sea dike]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from (Figure 13). [Photograph of North Aral Sea dike]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from (Figure 14). [Photograph of Aral Sea shore]. [Online Image]. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from