Aralkum Desert

The Aralkum Desert formed on the exposed seabed of the Aral Sea after Soviet-era irrigation projects diverted the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers during the 1960s. These diversions caused the sea to lose most of its water volume over subsequent decades, leaving behind tens of thousands of square kilometers of barren, salt-laced terrain.

The Aralkum Desert lies between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia, on what was formerly the bed of the Aral Sea. The remaining water is split between the North Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and the largely dried-up South Aral Sea in Uzbekistan.

Yes, the Kok-Aral Dam completed in 2005 by Kazakhstan has helped the North Aral Sea partially recover, with water levels rising significantly and fish populations returning. However, the South Aral Sea in Uzbekistan continues to shrink and is not expected to recover.

The exposed seabed of the Aralkum is heavily contaminated with agricultural pesticides and salts, which are picked up by wind and blown as toxic dust storms over surrounding communities. This has been linked to severe respiratory and other public health crises in the region.