Overview

As mentioned above, the Aral Sea is located inbetween Uzbekistan (to the south) and Kazakhstan (to the north). The Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers flow into the sea, but were diverted by the Soviet government in the 1960's for cotton irrigation in the desert, where the crop does not naturally grow. This resulted in "the worst man made ecological disaster"-- the sea has shrunk by over 75% since then. The land has become dessicated and the climate arid, fishermen have lost their livelihoods due to the extinction of fish, and the region is home to a copious amount of medical problems. Left behind by the evaporated water are large amounts of salt containing toxic chemicals and pollutants, which are blown by harsh winds for miles. The infant mortality and tuberculosis rates are some of the highest in world, cancer and thyroid diseases are prominent, and nearly every woman and child is anemic. As a result of all these issues, and partly a cause of some of them, the region faces poverty, with little hope for help from a poor goverment. The Kazakhstani portion of the Aral Sea has received programs designed to help revive it, the latest of which was successful, bringing fish back to the water. The Uzbeki end has seen no such efforts. There have been some humanitarian efforts, but not nearly to the extent of those in Kazakhstan, and they seem to have slowed in the past few years.

For more information, see:

International Fund on the Aral Sea (IFAS)

Detailed Overview of Aral Sea Basin

United Nations Development Program in Uzbekistan