Case study - Water insecurity in Aral Sea, Kazakhstan + Uzbekistan

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

1. Once world’s 4th largest inland sea - Aral Sea had been steadily shrinking since 1960s
2. By 2007, sea had declined to just 10% of its original size, split into separate lakes and fallen up to 40m

Question 2

Why?

Answer 2

1. Late 1950s Soviet govt diverted much of water from rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya - fed into Aral Sea
2. This done for irrigation and agriculture

Question 3

Soviet govt

Answer 3

began ambitious irrigation scheme designed to develop fruit + cotton farming in unproductive region + create jobs

Question 4

Fishing community

Answer 4

once prosperous industry employing 60,000 people in surrounding villages - collapsed following failure of scheme = unemployment, eco hardship + ships exposed on seabed

Question 5

Local residents

Answer 5

health problems caused by wind-blow salt + dust from dried out seabed
drinking water and parts of remaining sea become heavily polluted result of weapon test, industrial projects and pesticide/fertiliser runoff
infant mortality rates among highest in world

Question 6

Uzbekistan govt

Answer 6

irrigation schemes based on Aral Sea allow this poor country, with few resources, remain one of worlds largest exporters of cotton

Question 7

Scientists

Answer 7

Many birds, mammals, fish died - few remaining

climate changed as well + area more arid and prone to greater extremes of temperature

Question 8

Kazakhstan farmers

Answer 8

irrigation brought water table to surface, making drinking water and food crops salty and polluted

Question 9

International economists

Answer 9

people in region may no longer be able to feed themselves due to land becoming infertile
up to 10mil people maybe forced migrate + environmental refugees

Question 10

Water engineers

Answer 10

inspections revealed many of irrigation canals were poorly built = allowed water to leak out or evaporate