The Aral Sea

The Aral Sea Justine Robinson Rebecca Walker Ashley Terrill

Where is it? • The Aral Sea, located in Uzbekistan and Kazakstan (both countries were part of the former Soviet Union), is historically a saline lake.

1989 vs. 2003

The Aral Sea… • Once the world's fourth-largest inland sea with an area of 68,000 km², the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s, after the rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya that fed it were diverted by Soviet Union irrigation projects. • By 2004, the sea had shrunk to 25% of its original surface area, and a nearly fivefold increase in salinity had killed most of its natural flora and fauna.

The Aral Sea… • The Aral is an inland salt-water sea with no outlet. It is fed by two rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya. • The fresh water from these two rivers held the Aral's water and salt levels in perfect balance.

What happened? • In the early 1960's, the Soviet central government decided to make the Soviet Union self-sufficient in cotton and increase rice production. • Government officials ordered the additional amount of needed water to be taken from the two rivers that feed the Aral Sea.

What happened? • Large dams were built across both rivers, and an 850-mile central canal with a far-reaching system of "feeder" canals was created. • When the irrigation system was completed, millions of acres along both sides of the main canal were flooded.

What happened? • Over the next 30 years, the Aral Sea experienced a severe drop in water level, its shoreline receded, and its salt content increased.

1960 to 2008 Visual http://www.orexca.com/aral_sea.shtml

Works Cited • Aral Sea. 4 Nov. 2008 <http://enrin.grida.no/aral/aralsea/english/arsea/arsea.htm>. • The Aral Sea. 4 Nov. 2008 <http://visearth.ucsd.edu/VisE_Int/aralsea/>.

The Aral Sea

The Aral Sea

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