The Vanishing Aral Sea

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The Vanishing Aral Sea
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Virgin and Idle Lands Program (1954-60)
the goal to have 1 hectare (2.47 acres) of
agricultural land per person living in U.S.S.R.
Nikita S. Khrushchev Premier of USSR 1958-64
agricultural area to be increased by
25 expansion of sown area necessary
Where???
Western Siberia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan
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Amu Darya Delta
An old riverbed cuts through the delta of the Amu
Darya, the river that flows along a portion of
the border between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. A
total of 2,540 kilometers (1,578 miles) long, the
river runs from the Dar"yoi Pomir plateau in
Afghanistan to the Aral Sea and provides
irrigation water throughout the region.
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By 1977, the formerly large fish catch at the
Aral Sea had declined by over seventy-five
percent. Once, the annual catch of fish in the
Aral was 50,000 tons. By the early 1980's,
commercially useful fish were eliminated, shutting
down an enterprise that had employed 60,000. No
fish have been commercially taken since 1981.
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Virgin and Idle Lands Program (1954-60) the
goal to have 1 hectare per person - expansion of
sown area (Western Siberia Northern Kazakhstan),
agricultural area increased by 25 problems
marginal climatic area frequent droughts
fragile soils varying harvests drainage and
irrigation, chemical fertilizers better
harvesting technologies intensification in
agriculture yields have improved until 1980s
development of non-chernozem zone
Nikita S. Khrushchev Premier of USSR 1958-64
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1964
1973
Aral Sea Environmental Effects - 30 years of
irrigation for cotton and rice - 85 loss of
water since 1964 - From 4th to 31st largest world
lake - Salinity increased 10 to 23 - Destroyed
fishing industry - Changed local climate
(increased continentality) - Dust storms spread
75K tons of saline/pesticide soil annually,
much of it into the same fields created by
irrigation
1997
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1985
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Now (1999) and Then (1961)
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2009
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Impact on Health
In Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakia, since
1988 ? cases of kidney and liver diseases
have increased 30 fold ? cases of arthritic
diseases have increased 60 fold ? cases of
chronic bronchitis have increased 30 fold ?
20 of young women aged 13-19 have kidney
diseases ? 23 of young women aged 13-19 have
thyroid dysfunctions ? 80 of all women
suffer from anemia (nearly all hemorrhage
while giving birth resulting in
one of the highest maternal mortality rates on
Earth)
oneworld.org
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...we may be witnessing the end of our society
as a result of human folly Dr. Ataniyazova a
gynecologist and obstetrician, based in the Nukus
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Vozrozhdenie Island
Vozrozhdenie (rebirth), was the large
island in center of Aral Sea, was a Soviet germ
warfare facility during the cold war era. At one
time, we would not be viewing this photo because
it was classified as militarily sensitive.
Astronauts on early shuttle flights were told not
to take any photographic images of that region.
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