Whose Water Is It Anyway? Issues of the Aral Sea

Learning Objectives Describe how and why the Aral Sea is disappearing Identify problems resulting from the shrinkage of the Aral Sea Examine issues that arise between countries in situations like this. Can/does the U.S. face similar issues? Develop and propose ideas to arrest the shrinkage of the sea and still maintain country/neighbor relations

ARAL SEA Once the 4th largest lake withdrawals from the incoming rivers Syr Darya and Amu Darya into the Aral Sea began in the 1930’s and have increased. The rivers have little or no flow into the Aral Sea and it has shrunk. What are some of the impacts? Karakum Canal 1954 completed 1967 in Turkmenistan Class creates a list of problems associated with the lowering of the Aral Sea.

ARAL SEA SAGA Reduction in the area of the Aral Sea 1960-2004 The Aral Sea is located in West central Asia and is drying up the top left picture shows the original contours of the sea along with the current area, at the bottom right are fishing vessels which once part of a thriving fishing industry grounded by the rapid decrease in water level the channel was intended to rescue the vessels but was not completed. Are their lakes in your area (river fed) that could dry up if water sources are diverted??? Ships left high and dry from the shrinking sea

Aral Sea Issues Destruction of fishing Industry and livelihood Raising of the water table (salinization) Destruction of wildlife (4.5X salty as originally) most fish, birds and mammals have died or left The winters are harsher/longer, the summers hotter/shorter in the area of the Aral Sea (climate change) Salt blows and contaminates ground Contaminated Irrigation overflow ponds have been created Increased incidence of throat cancer (9X world rate) Aral was original salt level of 10g/litre by 1990 45g/litre some parts 98g/litre sea water is 33g/litre The Soviets utilized Vozrozdeniya Island for biological warfare experimentation 5

Aral Sea Shrinkage

Aral Sea Canals were poorly constructed 35%-70% of the water is lost to evaporation and seepage Seepage lakes-contaminated by pesticides The Aral Sea is a river fed lake, in the 1930’s the Soviet Union started diverting water from the rivers to canals to irrigate cotton which was successful the diversions have increased (more land under cultivation) so water loss from evaporation exceeded incoming water so the sea started to shrink at an ever increasing rate. A similar situation is occuring with the Colorado River which is shared with Mexico, should downstream neighbors be considered when it comes to water withdrawls? QaraQum Canal The Amu Darya no longer reaches the Aral Sea

PowerPoint developed by Chris Christensen Marshall High School, MI