Policy & Management

Managing the Aral Sea has proven to be difficult, in particular in the decades following the agricultural boom of the region. Prior to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, monitoring and management of the sea fell under the Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources out of Moscow through the Ministries of Water (Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R., 2014). They oversaw and recorded the changes of the groundwater and sea as a whole; however, documentation of the sea fell just as the Soviet Union did. The independent governments that followed ended many programs and what few resources each country had needed to be concentrated on increased development, especially in agriculture.

The Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) in 1992 saw the five countries’, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, attempts to an integrated management of the sea (Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R., 2014). Each participating country came together for better environmental and sea conditions. Unfortunately, most of their arrangements were not followed through or implemented and little change was seen.

In 2010, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea was written to help raise awareness of the extent of damage done from the over agricultural practices of producing cash crops (Ibatullin, 2010) and excessive diversions of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers for urban development. This program focuses on bringing the five surrounding countries back together again for the common awareness and conservational efforts of the importance of water coming back into the system, improving habitat, economies and integrating the different government agencies for a common goal in water management.

Unfortunately, the devastation of the sea, environment, and local and regional economies are proving to be increasingly harder for other communities in the region. UNICEF, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank are helping populated areas of the Aral Sea in many ways with education, conservation, and sanitation. For example, in Uzbekistan, many people are receiving water testing kits and training in finding and producing clean and safe drinking water and better sanitation practices, like waste removal, water boiling, and improved drainage (Unicef, 2014). Also, community encouragements and incentives are in place to help the people in applying better practices. Many health issues are apparent and documented, along with contamination in several places; therefore increased need for cooperation from government and community members is crucial. Policies are in the process of being written to help guide and regulate management and outcomes (Unicef, 2014). Sadly, many areas still face contamination and pollution issues. Some government officials are slow at recognizing these issues and still overlook the need to initiate proper water management and safe water for their residence (IRIN Humanitarian News and Analysis, 2006).

 

 (IRIN Humanitarian News and Analysis, 2006)

Ibatullin, S. (2010). International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea - as a basis for regional cooperation in Central Asia. Geneve: Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.

IRIN Humanitarian News and Analysis. (2006, September 8). CENTRAL ASIA: Aral Sea crisis threatens public health. Retrieved from In-depth: Running Dry: the humanitarian impact of the global water crisis: http://www.irinnews.org/indepthmain.aspx?InDepthId=13&ReportId=60534

Unicef. (2014). The Aral Sea and Drought. Retrieved from Uzbekistan: http://www.unicef.org/uzbekistan/wes.html

Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R. (2014). Estimating the Effects of Anthropogenic Modifications on Water Balance in the Aral Sea Watershed Using GRACE: 2003-12. Earth Interactions, 18(3), 1-17.

Stakeholders

The Aral Sea disaster is an environmental issue on a vary large scale, affecting millions of people. As such, there are many stakeholders involved in the issue. Presented here is an analysis of the three largest stakeholders in the issue.

Stakeholder Analysis: The Communities of the Aral Sea

Thousands of years ago the Aral Sea was a resting point along the Great Silk Road (Whish-Wilson, 2002). The area had an abundant ecology, many species of fish and different wildlife, including fertile land to support crops many populations. Fishing and hunting, business and crafts, and agriculture were flourishing trades (Whish-Wilson, 2002) and many of these remained important to the people of the Aral Sea since then.

In the 1950’s, however, the Soviet Union seized the opportunity to utilize the lands and water of the Aral Sea for mass irrigation and agricultural projects for cotton and then rice, both of which are high in water need (Whish-Wilson, 2002) (Kitamura, Y., Yano, T., Honna, T., Yamamoto, S., Inosoko, K., 2006). The increasing demand for these crops and other agricultural products put a huge strain on the Aral Sea, and the Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers. Dams and canals, like the Karakum Canal, were implemented to divert waters to increase production. Each decade the sea dropped more and more and today, about 80% is gone, with little to no water coming into the system (Whish-Wilson, 2002). The increased agricultural practices brought along the extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides to further increase the crop demands, but this contributed to contaminated areas unproductive today. Due to the use of dams and canals, crop productions are still yielding mass amounts.

The fishing industry, which previously brought in close to 50,000 tons of fish each year fell greatly (Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R., 2014). Around the 1980’s, most of the fish populations were gone (National Geographic, 2010). The shrinking sea also left areas empty and dry, fisherman could no longer keep their ships and today many are stranded on grasslands that have replaced harbors. The fishing industry’s fishing industry remains bleak; however, some places have seen signs of an increasing potential to a returned fishing industry, many places are lost to this chance (National Geographic, 2010).

(National Geographic, 2010)

Drinking water and water for urban development growth are continued strains on the Aral Sea system. This, along with the heavy demand on agricultural products are adding to the increased struggles of the people and environment enduring and recovering from the crisis.

Stakeholder Analysis: Uzbek Government.

Uzbekistan is a fairly young country, formed after the fall of the Soviet Union. Under Soviet management the country was designated as the Union’s main source of cotton. While the country is now independent, agriculture is still much the same. Due to the arid climate of the country (85% is considered desert or semi-desert) the majority of agriculture is irrigated (CACILM). The countries irrigation infrastructure draws heavily on the surface water resources in Central Asia. This use of surface water dramatically increases evapotranspiration in the region and is the main cause of the desiccation of the Aral Sea. The goal of the Uzbek government, like those of most national governments around the world, is to advance the economy and quality of life in their country. While the drying of the seabed of the former Aral sea has caused widespread health problems in the western part of the country, the majority of the population including the capital of Tashkent, are far removed from the area (Figure 1). This disconnect results in the government accepting that the desiccation of the Aral Sea is necessary in order to support the main Uzbek population in the east.

Figure 1

(UNOCHA, 2009)

Agriculture accounts for 20% of GDP in Uzbekistan and supports a rural population of ~14 million people (Amu Darya Basin Network, CACILM). Cotton is Uzbekistan’s single largest export, constituting 12% of the country’s total exports. In recent years Uzbekistan has made an effort to move away from cotton, farming crops such as winter wheat that are much less water intensive. Between 1990 and 1998 water withdrawals in the Aral Sea basin dropped 16%, while irrigated acreage grew 10% (Micklin, 2007). While this is encouraging, the Uzbek government has no plans to lower irrigation withdrawals. The country has a growing population, and a need to feed that population. This impasse results in the current state of the Aral Sea Disaster.

 

Stakeholder Analysis: Kazakhstan Government

                      Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country by size in the entire world.  Despite its size, it only has a relatively small population of 17,948,816. The Aral sea has long been an integral part of the livelihood for a large part of Kazakhstan’s population.  Throughout the years the Aral sea has shrunk to an incredibly small size.  This has greatly affected the lives of many locals who relied on its waters for sustenance and income.  In an effort to restore a portion of the Aral sea, the Kazakhstan government, in collaboration with the World Bank, initiated a large scale dam project.  The dam is nearly eight miles long and cost roughly 68 million dollars.  Although the dam was built a relatively short time ago, it has already raised the level of the Aral sea by several feet.  While this amount may not seem like an incredible amount, the additional water height has greatly lowered the salinity and allowed native fish populations to return.  Recently the Kazakhstan government acquired an additional $126 million loan from the World Bank with plans to create a second dam in the same area.  While the Aral sea is still a long way from being fully restored, organizations and governments are attempting to bring back as much as possible and restore the livelihood of the Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan people. 

 

 

 References

Amu Darya Basin Network. 2013. Amu Darya River Info-Graphic. EastWest Institute. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ewinstitute/8412961705/sizes/h/in/photostream/ 
Antelava, Natalya. "Dam Project Aims to save Aral Sea." BBC News. BBC, 04 Sept. 2007. Web. 24 May 2014.
 
Central Asian Countries Initiative for Land Management  (CACILM). Land Resources- Uzbekistan. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Web Accessed May 22, 2014. http://www.fao.org/nr/land/projects-programmes/cacilm-initiative/cacilm-project/uzbekistan/en/ 
 
"Kazakhstan." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 May 2014. Web. 24 May 2014.
 
Kitamura, Y., Yano, T., Honna, T., Yamamoto, S., Inosoko, K. (2006). Causes of Farmland Salination and Remedial Measures in the Aral Sea Basin - Research on Watershed Management to Prevent Secondary Salination in Rice-Based Cropping Systems in Arid Land. Agricultural Water Management, 85(1-2), 1-14.

Micklin, P. 2007. The Aral Sea Disaster. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 35, 47-72.
 
National Geographic. (2010, April 2010). Aral Sea Recovery? Retrieved from Daily News: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/04/100402-aral-sea-story/

Peneva, E.l., E.v. Stanev, S.v. Stanychni, A. Salokhiddinov, and G. Stulina. "The Recent Evolution of the Aral Sea Level and Water Properties: Analysis of Satellite, Gauge and Hydrometeorological Data." Journal of Marine Systems 47.1-4 (2004): 11-24. ScienceDirect. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
 
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). 2009. Uzbekistan- population density. United Nations. Web accessed May 23, 2014. http://css.static.reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2CF906816BDCDE53852577420067AB1D-map.pdf

Walters, Pat. "Aral Sea Recovery?" National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 02 Apr. 2010. Web. 24 May 2014.

Whish-Wilson, P. (2002). The Aral Sea Environmental Health Crisis. Journal of Rural and Environment Remote Health, 1(2), 29-34.

Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R. (2014). Estimating the Effects of Anthropogenic Modifications on Water Balance in the Aral Sea Watershed Using GRACE: 2003-12. Earth Interactions, 18(3), 1-17. 

Water Science

The geography of the Aral Sea basin is complex both topographically and politically. Both rivers that historically kept the lake full are the main freshwater sources for multiple countries.The lake itself is located in a geographically arid region, and the shrinking of the lake is causing the local climate to become even more arid.
The two main sources of water for the Aral, the Syr and Amu Darya rivers, originate hundreds of miles to the southeast in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

                                                                                                                       (UNEP)
The areas the two rivers flow through rely solely upon them for their freshwater resources. The use of these rivers to develop central Asian countries has led to an increase in population in the area, and a heavy reliance on agriculture as an economic driver in the region. Human withdrawal of water from the Syr and Amu rivers has more than quadrupled in the last hundred years (Edelstein et al, 2012).

                                                                                                  (Edelstein et al, 2012)

(Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R., 2014)

The Aral Sea watershed is very extensive, expanding and bordering many countries in Central Asia. Anthropogenic manipulation, as well as climate change, has altered both the Amu Darya River and Syr Darya River, as well as the many other smaller rivers throughout the region. Populations have increased greatly over the decades of development and development, and so has the demand for water in the area, especially for agricultural cash crops like cotton and rice. Multiple dams and reservoirs are implemented to supply water to the many residence and irrigation canals, which account for about 70% of the major rivers’ waters, such as Turkmenistan’s Karakum Canal and Kazakhstan’s Shardara Reservoir, across the watershed (Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R., 2014).

(Cretaux, J., Letolle, R. Berge-Nguyen, M., 2013)

The Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers supply groundwater and surface water to the aquifers and Aral Sea. In 2001, the average annual flows of the rivers were recorded at approximately 80 km³ for the Amu Darya and 40km³ for the Syr Darya, which account ted for 55km³ to the sea (Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R., 2014). However more noticeably, diversions for agriculture have left the sea diminished and broken up into pieces; recharges to the groundwater system are very small, as can be seen in the following flow chart (Cretaux, J., Letolle, R. Berge-Nguyen, M., 2013).

 (Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R., 2014)

The precipitation, in the form of glaciers, snow, and rain, flows from the Pamir and Tian Shan Mountains in the southeast portion of the watershed (Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R., 2014) to the Aral in the northwest portion. Precipitation and sea levels have fluctuated in the past; however, over the past century, less and less precipitation is feeding into the river systems and down to the Aral Sea. Losses from excessive use and climate change are the major factors influencing the sea. Seasonal precipitation averages have changed dramatically, with summer months receiving little to no rainfall, and the wet, winter and spring months receive the majoring of accumulation in the mountains to the rivers. NASA satellite images of the Aral Sea taken shows the damages of what excessive human demand and lack of precipitation has had on the sea (NASA, 2013). An updated image taken in August 2013 shows the broken up pieces that were once part of larger portions of the sea.

 (NASA, 2013)

References:
Edelstein, M.R.; Cerny, A. and Gadaev, A. Disaster by Design: The Aral Sea and its lessons for sustainability. Emerald Publishing, 2012. Web.

Micklin, P. and Aladin, N.V. 2008. Reclaiming the Aral Sea. Scientific American. 298:4, 64-71.

Cretaux, J., Letolle, R. Berge-Nguyen, M. (2013). History of Aral Seal Level Variability and Current Scientific Debates. Global and PLanatary Change, 1(2), 99-113.

NASA. (2013, August 25). Shrinking Aral Sea. Retrieved from Earth Observatory: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/aral_sea.php

Zmijewski, K. and Becker, R. (2014). Estimating the Effects of Anthropogenic Modifications on Water Balance in the Aral Sea Watershed Using GRACE: 2003-12. Earth Interactions, 18(3), 1-17.

Introduction

The Aral Sea

The Aral Sea is an inland salt lake in Central Asia. In the mid 20th century the lake was the fourth largest inland water body in the world. The lake is fed primarily by two rivers, the Syr Darya from Kazakhstan, and the Amu Darya which flows into the sea from Uzbekistan. In the 1960's, when the countries surrounding the sea were governed by the USSR, the entire region was put into agricultural service. This caused an immediate reduction in water inputs into the sea from it's two main rivers. As a result of this decreased flow over the past 50 years the lake is now several separate water bodies and a fraction of its former size. Shorelines have retreated over 50 miles in some areas and economies that once relied on the sea have collapsed.