Tag #Sustainable Water Management

What caused the drastic shrinkage of the Aral Sea and what are the immediate consequences for the city of Aralsk?

The Aral Sea, once a vital fishing hub, has drastically shrunk due to the diversion of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for irrigation starting in the 1960s. This led to a reduction in water inflow from 43,000 to 17,000 cubic kilometers between the 1960s and 1980s, resulting in the sea's division into the North (Small Aral) and South (Large Aral) by 1989 and the creation of the Aralkum desert. The city of Aralsk, once a thriving port, now faces high unemployment and health issues due to the environmental disaster.