ARAL SEA CASE STUDY

Once the worlds fourth largest inland sea (68,000 km²). It has been slowly shrinking since the 1960's. In the late 1950's the Soviet Government diverted water from the rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya for use in agriculture. By 2007 the sea had declined to 10% of its original size and had split into several small parts. Its water level dropped by 40 metres.

Aral Sea crises Stakeholders

The fishing community; an industry that employed 60,000 people from the villages around the lakes shores 

Local residents; health problems related to wind blown salt and dust from dried out seabed.

 The former Soviet Government; communist leader lead an ambitious irrigation scheme in order to develop fruit and cotton farms.

 Uzbekistan Government; the irrigation scheme allows poor countries, with few resources, to remain one of the worlds largest exporters of cotton. It also hopes to discover oil deposits beneath the seabed

In 2007 the Kazakhstan Government secured a loan of $126 million to help save the North part of the Aral Sea. An ambitious project aimed at reversing one of the worlds worst environmental disasters.

The Kazakhstan Government used an earlier $68 million loan to build a dam that has split the sea into two parts. Officials claim that the Northern Sea is already filling up, now that the ater from the Syr Darya once again flowing into the Aral. The new loan will be use to make a dam to bring waters back to thew deserted part of Aralsk.

However, these actions haven't solved the problems on the Uzbek side. The southern part is still shrinking and many believe it is too late to save it. The waters of the Amu Darya that feed into the Southern area are used to grow cotton. And the Uzbekistan economy is highly dependant on "cash crops".

Another problem with the Syr Darya is that the headwaters are controlled by other countries, wghich couldtrigger conflict.

In 2007 the Kazakhstan Government secured a loan of $126 million to help save the North part of the Aral Sea. An ambitious project aimed at reversing one of the worlds worst environmental disasters.

The Kazakhstan Government used an earlier $68 million loan to build a dam that has split the sea into two parts. Officials claim that the Northern Sea is already filling up, now that the ater from the Syr Darya once again flowing into the Aral. The new loan will be use to make a dam to bring waters back to thew deserted part of Aralsk.

However, these actions haven't solved the problems on the Uzbek side. The southern part is still shrinking and many believe it is too late to save it. The waters of the Amu Darya that feed into the Southern area are used to grow cotton. And the Uzbekistan economy is highly dependant on "cash crops".

Another problem with the Syr Darya is that the headwaters are controlled by other countries, wghich couldtrigger conflict.

In 2007 the Kazakhstan Government secured a loan of $126 million to help save the North part of the Aral Sea. An ambitious project aimed at reversing one of the worlds worst environmental disasters.

The Kazakhstan Government used an earlier $68 million loan to build a dam that has split the sea into two parts. Officials claim that the Northern Sea is already filling up, now that the ater from the Syr Darya once again flowing into the Aral. The new loan will be use to make a dam to bring waters back to thew deserted part of Aralsk.

However, these actions haven't solved the problems on the Uzbek side. The southern part is still shrinking and many believe it is too late to save it. The waters of the Amu Darya that feed into the Southern area are used to grow cotton. And the Uzbekistan economy is highly dependant on "cash crops".

Another problem with the Syr Darya is that the headwaters are controlled by other countries, wghich couldtrigger conflict.

In 2007 the Kazakhstan Government secured a loan of $126 million to help save the North part of the Aral Sea. An ambitious project aimed at reversing one of the worlds worst environmental disasters.

The Kazakhstan Government used an earlier $68 million loan to build a dam that has split the sea into two parts. Officials claim that the Northern Sea is already filling up, now that the ater from the Syr Darya once again flowing into the Aral. The new loan will be use to make a dam to bring waters back to thew deserted part of Aralsk.

However, these actions haven't solved the problems on the Uzbek side. The southern part is still shrinking and many believe it is too late to save it. The waters of the Amu Darya that feed into the Southern area are used to grow cotton. And the Uzbekistan economy is highly dependant on "cash crops".

Another problem with the Syr Darya is that the headwaters are controlled by other countries, wghich couldtrigger conflict.

In 2007 the Kazakhstan Government secured a loan of $126 million to help save the North part of the Aral Sea. An ambitious project aimed at reversing one of the worlds worst environmental disasters.

The Kazakhstan Government used an earlier $68 million loan to build a dam that has split the sea into two parts. Officials claim that the Northern Sea is already filling up, now that the ater from the Syr Darya once again flowing into the Aral. The new loan will be use to make a dam to bring waters back to thew deserted part of Aralsk.

However, these actions haven't solved the problems on the Uzbek side. The southern part is still shrinking and many believe it is too late to save it. The waters of the Amu Darya that feed into the Southern area are used to grow cotton. And the Uzbekistan economy is highly dependant on "cash crops".

Another problem with the Syr Darya is that the headwaters are controlled by other countries, wghich couldtrigger conflict.

In 2007 the Kazakhstan Government secured a loan of $126 million to help save the North part of the Aral Sea. An ambitious project aimed at reversing one of the worlds worst environmental disasters.

The Kazakhstan Government used an earlier $68 million loan to build a dam that has split the sea into two parts. Officials claim that the Northern Sea is already filling up, now that the ater from the Syr Darya once again flowing into the Aral. The new loan will be use to make a dam to bring waters back to thew deserted part of Aralsk.

However, these actions haven't solved the problems on the Uzbek side. The southern part is still shrinking and many believe it is too late to save it. The waters of the Amu Darya that feed into the Southern area are used to grow cotton. And the Uzbekistan economy is highly dependant on "cash crops".

Another problem with the Syr Darya is that the headwaters are controlled by other countries, wghich couldtrigger conflict.

In 2007 the Kazakhstan Government secured a loan of $126 million to help save the North part of the Aral Sea. An ambitious project aimed at reversing one of the worlds worst environmental disasters.

The Kazakhstan Government used an earlier $68 million loan to build a dam that has split the sea into two parts. Officials claim that the Northern Sea is already filling up, now that the ater from the Syr Darya once again flowing into the Aral. The new loan will be use to make a dam to bring waters back to thew deserted part of Aralsk.

However, these actions haven't solved the problems on the Uzbek side. The southern part is still shrinking and many believe it is too late to save it. The waters of the Amu Darya that feed into the Southern area are used to grow cotton. And the Uzbekistan economy is highly dependant on "cash crops".

Another problem with the Syr Darya is that the headwaters are controlled by other countries, wghich couldtrigger conflict.

In 2007 the Kazakhstan Government secured a loan of $126 million to help save the North part of the Aral Sea. An ambitious project aimed at reversing one of the worlds worst environmental disasters.

The Kazakhstan Government used an earlier $68 million loan to build a dam that has split the sea into two parts. Officials claim that the Northern Sea is already filling up, now that the ater from the Syr Darya once again flowing into the Aral. The new loan will be use to make a dam to bring waters back to thew deserted part of Aralsk.

However, these actions haven't solved the problems on the Uzbek side. The southern part is still shrinking and many believe it is too late to save it. The waters of the Amu Darya that feed into the Southern area are used to grow cotton. And the Uzbekistan economy is highly dependant on "cash crops".

Another problem with the Syr Darya is that the headwaters are controlled by other countries, wghich couldtrigger conflict.

In 2007 the Kazakhstan Government secured a loan of $126 million to help save the North part of the Aral Sea. An ambitious project aimed at reversing one of the worlds worst environmental disasters.

The Kazakhstan Government used an earlier $68 million loan to build a dam that has split the sea into two parts. Officials claim that the Northern Sea is already filling up, now that the ater from the Syr Darya once again flowing into the Aral. The new loan will be use to make a dam to bring waters back to thew deserted part of Aralsk.

However, these actions haven't solved the problems on the Uzbek side. The southern part is still shrinking and many believe it is too late to save it. The waters of the Amu Darya that feed into the Southern area are used to grow cotton. And the Uzbekistan economy is highly dependant on "cash crops".

Another problem with the Syr Darya is that the headwaters are controlled by other countries, wghich couldtrigger conflict.