description Aral Sea Overview
The Aral Sea was a large saline lake in Central Asia between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Beginning in the 1960s, extensive diversion of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for irrigation greatly reduced the water reaching the lake, causing major shrinkage, rising salinity, exposed seabed, and the separation of remaining water bodies. The former lake supported fishing communities and ports, while the exposed seabed became a source of windblown salt and pollutants. The North Aral Sea has undergone partial restoration through water-management projects.
help Aral Sea FAQ
Why did the Aral Sea dry up?
Beginning in the 1960s, Soviet irrigation projects diverted huge volumes from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, mainly for cotton farming, starving the lake of inflow. Once the world's fourth-largest lake, it shrank dramatically and split into separate remnants.
Where is the Aral Sea located?
It sat on the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. Today's remnants, including the North Aral Sea, lie within Kazakhstan, while the southern basin is in Uzbekistan.
What was on Vozrozhdeniya Island in the Aral Sea?
The island hosted a secret Soviet bioweapons testing complex, associated with the Aralsk-7 site, where agents such as anthrax and plague were tested. As the sea retreated, the island became a peninsula connected to the mainland.
Has any part of the Aral Sea recovered?
Partially. Kazakhstan completed the Kokaral Dam in 2005 with World Bank support, and water levels and fisheries in the North Aral Sea have rebounded. The southern part, fed by the Amu Darya, remains largely desiccated.
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