Reclaiming the Aral Sea
- The Aral Sea is slowly evaporating and increasing in salinity after its 2 water sources, the Amu and Syr Rivers, were diverted for irrigation purposes
- Caused by Soviet Union, situation hid by public until Mikhail Gorbachev revealed levels in 1985
- Fish species dropped from 32 to 6, 60,000, fishery jobs lost, shipping ceased, salinity now >70 g/l
- Groundwater levels dropped, drought more common due to climate change
- 54,000 km2 of dry seabed exposed, choked with salt and pesticides that are blown around the area (500 km)
- Causes vegetation to die or grow impartially, and people to suffer from respiratory and digestive problems
- Weaponized organisms on Vozrozhdeniya Island may have survived and could reach civilizations from Aral Sea
- Restoration looks bleak: flow must quadruple from Syr and Amu rivers, and to drastically limit irrigation use
- Could also plant less thirsty crops, modernize the system or construct pipes to refill sea (led to failure by Kazakhstan in 1990s, dike constructed later in 2005 that rose water levels by 2 meters in 8 months)
- Now 10 g/l salinity, fishers now catching pike perch and sazan in the water again
- Now expected to settle from 4-14 g/l, when more indigenous species can return
- Can be restored further by irrigation improvements, which could stabilize level to 47 meters and decrease salinity and help marshlands
- Large Aral still shrinking rapidly, if no changes made then basin would average at 4,300 km2 at 2.5 m deep
- Salinity at 100 g/l and possibly 200, with only bacteria and brine shrimp left; Engineering would solve this through increased water flow through rivers and irrigation improvements, started in 1980 and continued
- Situation proves that humans can wreck the environment fast, quick fixes aren't effective, avoidance never works, and the environment is still resilient
Summary:
The Aral Sea in Central Asia was the fourth largest lake on the planet in 1960. The situation is a bleak one ever since it's diversion of it's main sources - the Amu and Syr rivers. The Soviet Union needed more agriculture in the area, and irrigation was increased because of the growing population. The Aral Sea is slowly evaporating and increasing in salinity after it's two water sources. Fortunately, the solution of this means less water for irrigation and more pumping of water into the sea. The salinity at 100 g/l and possibly 200, with only bacteria and brine shrimp left would solve this through increased water flow through the rivers and irrigation improvements.
The Aral Sea in Central Asia was the fourth largest lake on the planet in 1960. The situation is a bleak one ever since it's diversion of it's main sources - the Amu and Syr rivers. The Soviet Union needed more agriculture in the area, and irrigation was increased because of the growing population. The Aral Sea is slowly evaporating and increasing in salinity after it's two water sources. Fortunately, the solution of this means less water for irrigation and more pumping of water into the sea. The salinity at 100 g/l and possibly 200, with only bacteria and brine shrimp left would solve this through increased water flow through the rivers and irrigation improvements.
Reflection:
The Aral Sea’s situation is causing an increase irrigation because of growing population. Everyone in every cities should be conscious on what they are resulting to cause something to destroy the world. The outcome would be that there would be less jobs and decrease of resources. Water is one of the valuable resource in the U.S. People would die without water in cities to drink and to use to something else.
The Aral Sea’s situation is causing an increase irrigation because of growing population. Everyone in every cities should be conscious on what they are resulting to cause something to destroy the world. The outcome would be that there would be less jobs and decrease of resources. Water is one of the valuable resource in the U.S. People would die without water in cities to drink and to use to something else.