Kiera Jefferson
The Aral Sea, once the world's fourth-largest saline lake, has been described as the site of the most staggering disaster of the twentieth century and one of the planet's worst environmental disasters. The lake began shrinking in the 1960s after the Soviet Union diverted its feeder rivers for irrigation projects, particularly to support cotton production. By 2007, the Aral Sea had declined to just 10% of its original size, and the exposed seabed became a source of toxic dust that spread across the region, causing severe environmental and public health issues.
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Diversion of rivers Syr Darya and Amu Darya
The diversion of the rivers Syr Darya and Amu Darya, which were the Aral Sea's main sources of water, is a key factor in the environmental disaster that unfolded in the Aral Sea Basin.
In the 1950s, the Soviet government, led by Khrouchtchev, promoted agriculture in Central Asia, particularly cotton production. This led to the diversion of water from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers, which began in 1959. The rivers were harnessed to provide water for irrigation projects, with the aim of bringing more land into cultivation. The Karakum Canal, initiated in 1954, drew a significant amount of water from the Amu Darya, contributing to the diversion.
The diversion of these rivers had a significant impact on the Aral Sea's water levels, causing them to decrease drastically from the 1960s onwards. This led to a rise in salinity levels, making the water toxic for fish and wildlife, as well as human populations that depended on it. The soil around the sea also became more saline, affecting agriculture and requiring additional irrigation.
The consequences of the river diversion were far-reaching and affected the climate, landscape, and health of the region. The loss of water in the Aral Sea contributed to broader annual temperature ranges and more frequent and intense dust storms, which picked up salt and toxic pollutants from the exposed seabed. These storms had detrimental effects on the health of those living in the Aral Basin, with high rates of respiratory ailments, as well as increased rates of nose, throat, and lung cancer.
The diversion of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers, driven by Soviet irrigation projects and agricultural policies, was a primary factor in the ecological catastrophe of the Aral Sea. The reduction in water inflow led to increased salinity, water toxicity, and far-reaching environmental and health consequences for the region.
Pakistan's Pollution Problem: A Quantitative Overview
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$55.47 $72.99
Rising salinity and soil salinity
The Aral Sea, once the world's fourth-largest saline lake, began shrinking in the 1960s and had largely turned into a desert by the 2010s. This was due to the Soviet Union's decision to divert the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, which fed the Aral Sea, to irrigate the surrounding desert region to favour agriculture, particularly the cultivation of cotton.
As the sea receded, it left behind vast plains covered in salt. The exposed seabed, spanning at least 50,000 square kilometres by 1990, was picked up by winds, resulting in frequent "salt storms" that ravaged the region and travelled as far as the Fergana Valley, Georgia, and the Arctic shore of the former Soviet Union. These salt storms had severe health impacts on those living in the Aral basin, causing intense burning pain in the eyes and sinuses.
The rising salinity levels in the Aral Sea also had ecological consequences. The South Aral Sea, for instance, has been incapable of supporting fish life since the late 1990s due to rising salinity levels, which also killed the flounder population. The increased salinity has also affected the soil around the sea, rendering it more saline. This has negatively impacted agriculture, as crops are destroyed by the deposition of salt by wind, and fields must be flushed with water multiple times a day to remove the excess salt and toxic matter.
The combination of rising salinity and soil salinity has had far-reaching effects on the environment, agriculture, and human health in the region, contributing to the devastation of the Aral Sea and the surrounding areas.
The Clean Air Challenge: Pollution-Free Zones in Ludhiana
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Cotton monoculture
The Soviet Union's decision to focus on cotton as a profitable export crop resulted in a decline in Central Asia's agricultural diversity. Under Soviet planners, cotton became known as "white gold", but this came at a high environmental cost. Agriculture in Central Asia became a "cotton monoculture", focused on delivering ever-greater quotas of fibre to state factories and overseas buyers.
In 1959, the Soviet Union selected Central Asia to be its primary cotton supplier. Although cotton had been grown in the region before, the scale and intensity of the Soviet plan were unprecedented. The Aral Sea's feeder rivers, the Syr Darya and Amu Darya, were harnessed to provide the vast amounts of water needed for this endeavour.
The diversion of these rivers caused the Aral Sea to slowly desiccate over four decades. The water level in the Aral Sea started decreasing from the 1960s onwards, and by 2007, the sea had declined to just 10% of its original size. The loss of water in the Aral Sea has also led to broader annual temperature ranges and more dust in local and regional storms.
The drive to bring more land into cotton cultivation resulted in massive water diversion projects, which brought more land into cultivation but also diverted millions of gallons of water away from the rivers that fed the Aral Sea. The Karakum Canal, initiated in 1954, drew an average of three cubic miles of water from the Amu Darya annually at its height.
The expansion of cotton cultivation also led to the overuse of pesticides, which further polluted the water with toxins such as HCH, TCCD, and DDT. These pesticides have had severe health impacts on local inhabitants, with toxic chemicals found in the blood and breast milk of mothers, leading to low birth weight and congenital abnormalities.
Thermal Pollution: Prevention and Mitigation Strategies
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Wind-borne toxic dust
The shrinking of the Aral Sea has been called "one of the planet's worst environmental disasters" by the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. The lake, which was once the world's fourth-largest saline lake, began shrinking in the 1960s and had largely dried up into a desert by the 2010s. The primary cause of this was the Soviet Union's decision to divert the two rivers that fed the lake, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, for irrigation projects and to promote agriculture, especially cotton cultivation. This led to a drastic decrease in the water level of the Aral Sea, causing the water to turn toxic and the surrounding soil to become more saline.
As a result of the shrinking water source and worsening water and soil quality, the use of pesticides on crops increased, further polluting the water with toxins such as HCH, TCCD, and DDT. Industrial pollution also led to PCB and heavy metal contamination. With insufficient water left in the Aral Sea, concentrations of these pollutants rose drastically, resulting in wind-borne toxic dust that spread widely.
The Aral Sea Basin lies in the path of westerly winds in Central Asia, and as the enormous stretches of seabed became exposed, the winds picked up the salt and toxic dust from the bed. This resulted in frequent "salt storms" that ravaged the region and sometimes travelled hundreds of miles eastward, devastating crops in the Fergana Valley and as far as the Arctic shore of the former Soviet Union. The dust also contained heavy metals and other chemicals, causing intense burning pain in the eyes and sinuses for those in the path of the storms.
The wind-borne toxic dust has had severe health impacts on the local population. Rates of nose, throat, and lung cancer in Karakalpakistan were several times the national average in Uzbekistan, directly attributed to the high salt and polluted particulate content of the atmosphere near the dry seabed. The infant mortality rate in some districts of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan was close to 100, with other health issues such as high rates of jaundice and hepatitis A also reported. Toxic chemicals associated with pesticide use, such as organochlorides, PCBs, DDT compounds, and TCDD, have been found in the blood and breast milk of mothers, passing on to their children and resulting in low birth weight and congenital abnormalities.
The wind-borne toxic dust is just one aspect of the environmental and health crisis caused by the Soviet pollution that destroyed the Aral Sea and devastated the region's ecosystem, fishing industry, and agriculture.
Greenhouse Gases: Pollution's Impact on Our Planet
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Public health issues
The shrinking of the Aral Sea has had a devastating impact on the health of local residents, with the region deemed an "environmental health crisis". The lake, once the world's third-largest, has been described as an example of ecosystem collapse.
The diversion of the rivers that fed the Aral Sea by Soviet irrigation projects in the 1960s led to a dramatic decrease in water levels, increased salinity, and the eventual drying up of the lake bed. This left behind toxic chemicals and salts, which were picked up by winds and spread across the region, causing frequent "salt storms". These storms have ravaged the region, with the salty particulate matter causing intense burning pain in the eyes and sinuses.
The health of those living in the Aral basin has deteriorated as environmental conditions have worsened. The high salt and polluted particulate content of the atmosphere near the dry seabed has led to increased rates of nose, throat, and lung cancer in Karakalpakistan, several times the national average in Uzbekistan. The infant mortality rate in some districts of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan is close to 100, with high rates of jaundice and hepatitis A also reported in western Uzbekistan in the 1980s. Physicians have recommended against breastfeeding in some areas, as the nursing mother's milk has been found to be toxic, with pesticides and other toxins present in the blood and breast milk of mothers. These toxins are passed on to children, resulting in low birth weight and congenital abnormalities.
The region's once-prosperous fishing industry has been devastated, bringing unemployment and economic hardship. The loss of water in the Aral Sea has also changed local temperatures and wind patterns, leading to a broader annual temperature range and more frequent dust storms. The increased use of pesticides on crops has further exacerbated the issue, with crops destroyed by the salt deposited by the wind.
The population around the Aral Sea suffers from generally poor health, due in part to the breakdown of healthcare infrastructure since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the socioeconomic and ecological factors that have arisen as a result of the environmental disaster.
Cars: Polluting Our Air, Damaging Our Health
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Soviet Union's irrigation projects in the 1960s diverted the rivers that fed the Aral Sea, causing its water levels to decrease drastically. This was done to promote agriculture, especially cotton production, in the region.
The shrinking of the Aral Sea has led to increased salinity, leaving huge plains covered in salt and toxic chemicals. The region has experienced frequent ""salt storms", which have devastated crops. The health of those living in the Aral basin has also deteriorated, with high rates of nose, throat, and lung cancer, as well as high infant and maternal mortality rates.
The Aral Sea fishing industry, which once employed around 40,000 people and produced a significant portion of the Soviet Union's fish catch, has been devastated. Commercial fishing ceased in 1982. The South Aral Sea has been incapable of supporting fish life since the late 1990s due to rising salinity levels.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called the Aral Sea disaster the "most staggering disaster of the twentieth century". UNESCO has added historical documents related to the Aral Sea to its Memory of the World Register, recognizing it as an important resource for studying environmental tragedies.
