Aral Sea was onetime the largest saltwater lake in Central Asia and the world’s fourth-largest body of inland water by volume. It is found in the boundary between Kazakhstan to the north and Uzbekistan to the south.
The sea used to lose its water through evaporation because it is located in a hot desert. The lake on Uzbekistan side dried up while the remaining part in Kazakhstan was reduced by 10% in 2009. There have been ongoing efforts in Kazakhstan to rejuvenate the lake by boosting water inflow, building walls, planting trees around the sea and reintroducing varieties of fish.
The salt and minerals content is very high thus all fish are dead. Fishermen left their boats but the receding lake has left them far away from the lake’s shore. The local climate is harsher with more severe summer temperatures that have made local inhabitants migrate. The area is degraded and many people are suffering from cancer and kidney problems.
The child mortality rate in the area is the highest in the world due to the effects of chemical and nuclear chemicals spread across the area.
World Bank is providing finance to Kazakhstan to help restore the original state of the lake. The water level is increasing and local fish have been restocked. Uzbekistan on the other side is exploring oil and gas in the empty lake with no effort to rejuvenate the lake.…See More