The Aral Sea
Before
After
The Aral Sea before and after drying up
The Aral Sea was once the fourth-largest lake in the world, located in Central Asia between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The sea has been drying up due to the diversion of water from its major tributaries for cultivation. The drying up of the Aral Sea has had terrible consequences for the surrounding nature and the people who depend on it.
The Soviet authorities diverted water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers to cultivate cotton farms nearby in the 1960s, which caused the Aral Sea to start to dry up. The sea's water level dropped quickly as a result of the decrease in water entering it, and its surface area has shrunk by more than 90% since the 1960s.
The drying of the Aral Sea has had a lot of negative repercussions on the local ecosystem and inhabitants. Due to the disappearance of the sea, which was formerly a plethora of sources of fish and other sustenance, the local fishing industry has suffered. Along with revealing the sea floor, the receding waters have also exposed toxins and dangerous substances that were hidden in the silt. Dust storms, which are already frequent in the region, are introducing these pollutants and salinizing the soil, which makes it more difficult for crops to thrive and even puts inhabitants' health at danger.
The local economy has also suffered greatly as a result of the disappearance of the Aral Sea. The region's movement of products has become considerably more challenging because the sea, which was formerly a vital conduit, vanished. Due to the loss of numerous jobs in the transportation and fishing industries brought on by the drying up of the sea, there has also been a rise in unemployment.
The local governments have taken steps to address the problem, but it is a huge challenge. The Kazakh government has built a dam to retain water and prevent further shrinkage on its side of the sea, but the Uzbek side still faces the problem. Plans to artificially refill the sea with water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers have also been proposed, but these plans are costly and face significant technical challenges.
A tragic example of the results of human tampering with nature is the drying up of the Aral Sea. It serves as a reminder of the significance of safely and sustainably managing our natural resources. To lessen the harm caused by the disappearance of the Aral Sea and to avert similar environmental catastrophes in the future, urgent action must be taken.