2. Human Environment Interaction in Russia and the Republics
Economic Growth with Environmental Damage

3. Government Policies of the Soviet Union
Under the command economy, the Soviet government controlled all aspects of the economy.
They controlled the land for farming, mining for resources and factory production.
After WWII, the Soviet Union enters into the Cold War with the U.S.
The Soviet Union began to:
1) Build up their military
2) rapidly industrialize for
self-sufficiency

4. Government Policies of the Soviet Union
Under Joseph Stalin, rapid industrialization became important
Farms, factories and power plants were built very quickly with little regard for the environment

5. TOPIC
ISSUE
CAUSES
EFFECTS
Volga River
Aral Sea
Chernobyl

6. 1) The Volga

7. The Volga

8. Pollution of the Volga River
During rapid industrialization, many factories were built along the Volga
Some pollution is trash but most is from chemical factories
The water is harmful to drink, harmful to the fish and causes sickness

9. Volga River This is the Volga River.
This is the Caspian Sea, notice the brown sludge the Volga is dumping in it.
Volga River
This is the Volga River Delta.

10. Pollution of the Volga River
Damming for industrial purposes causes flooding

11. Pollution of the Volga River
Pollution from an oil spill

13. Pollution of the Volga River
Clean-up efforts are underway

14. 2) The Aral Sea
Watch Aral Sea Video

15. The Aral Sea
Issue: Cause(s): Effect(s):

16. Government Policies of the Soviet Union
In the 1950’s, the government began diverting water from the Amu Dayra and Syr Dayra Rivers (which feed into the Aral Sea) to irrigate cotton fields.
Cotton, “white gold,” was supposed to save them

17. The Shrinking Aral Sea
So the sea began to shrink.

18. The Shrinking Aral Sea

19. The Shrinking Aral Sea
Original border
Original Borders

20. The Shrinking Aral Sea
Dust storms make the environment even more harsh

21. Shrinking Aral Sea
Desertification (expansion of deserts to the outer moist regions) of the Aral Sea region led to this…

22. Shrinking Aral Sea

23. Shrinking Aral Sea ocho.uwaterloo.ca

24. Shrinking Aral Sea

25. Shrinking Aral Sea

26. 3) Chernobyl Power Plant
Issue: Cause(s): Effect(s):
Watch Chernobyl Video

27. Government Policies of the Soviet Union
Soviet policies also affected the production of energy
To industrialize quickly and build up the military, nuclear power plants like Chernobyl were built.
BUT… there were problems.

28. Chernobyl Explosion 1986 Chernobyl, located in Ukraine, exploded
The cause was human error
People and the environment suffered because of radiation

29. Chernobyl Explosion

30. Chernobyl Explosion

31. Chernobyl Explosion Inside the plant

32. Chernobyl Explosion
Chernobyl with its concrete sarcophagus

33. Chernobyl Effects http://farm1. static. flickr

34. Chernobyl Effects

35. Chernobyl Effects

36. Chernobyl Effects

37. Chernobyl Effects

38. Chernobyl Effects

39. Chernobyl Effects

40. Chernobyl Effects

41. Questions on Government Policies of the Soviet Union
Why did the Soviet Union dam the rivers that fed the Aral Sea and what effect did it have on the environment?
Why did rapid industrialization (the quick building of power plants) lead to the Chernobyl disaster?
What actions could the Soviet government have taken to protect the environment and people of the region?