Is it possible to refill the Aral Sea?

In an ongoing effort in Kazakhstan to save and replenish the North Aral Sea, the Dike Kokaral dam was completed in 2005. By 2008, the water level had risen 12 m (39 ft) above that of 2003. Salinity has dropped, and fish are again present in sufficient numbers for some fishing to be viable.

What effect do you think the shrinking of the Aral Sea has had on the fishing industry?

The salt and mineral content of the lake rose drastically because of that, making the water unfit for drinking purposes and killing off the once-abundant supplies of sturgeon, carp, barbel, roach, and other fishes in the lake. The fishing industry along the Aral Sea was thus virtually destroyed.

What were the effects of irrigation on the Aral Sea?

The irrigation of the cotton fields from the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya rivers, contributed a great deal to the disappearance of the Aral Sea to more than half of its original size. As a result, more than 40,000 sq km of the heavily saline seabed are now exposed, and is now being blown out by frequent winds.

Which human modification is most responsible for drying up the Aral Sea?

Intensive irrigation of cotton plantations in the deserts of the western Soviet Union prevented water reaching the Aral Sea, leading to the drastically low levels we see today. This in turn meant the highly-salty waters killed off many plants and animals.

How long will it take to refill the Aral Sea?

Another 13 km long dam was built in 2004, as well as several hydraulic installations on the river bed that were financed by the World Bank. The North Aral Sea increased its level by four meters in only six months, increasing its size in one third in one year and recovering part of its aquatic fauna.

How can we save the Aral Sea?

In the early years of this century, Kazakhstan made a bold decision. They decided to split the Aral Sea and save the bit of it they could control. They built an 8 mile long dam to separate the northern pocket of the sea into an independent lake, with extensive improvements along the Syr Darya river to improve its flow.

What is the primary reason for the shrinking of the Aral Sea?

What is the primary reason for the shrinking of the Aral Sea? Large-scale irrigation projects implemented by the Soviets in the 1950s have diverted water from the two rivers that feed the sea.

What problem is caused by irrigation?

The expansion and intensification of agriculture made possible by irrigation has the potential for causing: increased erosion; pollution of surface water and groundwater from agricultural biocides; deterioration of water quality; increased nutrient levels in the irrigation and drainage water resulting in algal blooms.

What is the main cause for the loss of water to the Aral Sea?

Once thriving, the vast Asian lake was drained for irrigation. Once the fourth largest lake in the world, Central Asia’s shrinking Aral Sea has reached a new low, thanks to decades-old water diversions for irrigation and a more recent drought.

Why did Aral Sea dry up?

The ecosystem of the Aral Sea was destroyed mainly as a result of the increased salinity as well as the testing of weapons and other fertilizer run offs. The salinity of the water in the Aral sea was around 376 g/l by 1990 compared to the 35 g/l salinity of ordinary seawater.

Can the Aral Sea be saved?

Attempts to recover the Aral Sea started in 1996 when a dam was built to retain water from the Sir Daria, the river that flows into the north of the Aral Sea, to regulate the water level in this area of the lake and irrigate the surrounding land. The idea was to sacrifice the South Aral Sea to save the North Aral Sea.

What happened to the north and South Aral Sea?

The North Aral Sea (sometimes called the Small Aral Sea) had separated from the South (Large) Aral Sea. The South Aral Sea had split into eastern and western lobes that remained tenuously connected at both ends. By 2001, the southern connection had been severed, and the shallower eastern part retreated rapidly over the next several years.

Will Uzbekistan’s South Aral Sea ever expand?

With Uzbekistan currently drilling for oil and gas beneath the bone-dry bottom of the former sea, and local farmers still desperate for their own water, it’s unlikely the southern sea will expand. Still, some efforts to restore wetlands around the South Aral Sea have been successful.

What happened to the Aralsk Harbor?

The Aralsk harbor lost its water in 1970 and its inhabitants saw the sea move away day by day. The ships were stranded in a desert of salty sand, an image that became an icon of the disaster. Isabel Coixet in the Aral Sea during the filming of Aral.