The Aral Sea

                                                    The Aral Sea.

Millions of years ago, the northwestern part of Uzbekistan and southern Kazakhstan were covered by a massive inland sea. When the waters receded, they left a broad plain of highly saline soil. One of the remnants of the ancient sea was the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake in the world. The Aral Sea surface was 66,100 square kilometers. Salt content was 1%.  Then in the sixties, the flow of water into the Sea began to drop alarmingly. The former sea bed is now a salt desert. More and more water is used for irrigations and this may cause a reduction of water pouring into the Aral Sea. As the result of the shrinkage of the Sea.

The Sea has changed the climate of the region greatly.  The fertile soil is covered by the salt blown from the dry sea-bed.

The fishing industry has ceased. Other enterprises have closed down completely. The drying-up of the Sea, and the salt and dust laden air, have had a damaging effect on the health of the people. Many children are born with defects. (Diseases like anemia, cancer and tuberculosis, and allergies are frequent.) In this same period, people have seen their jobs disappear too. The fishing industry, shipping, and all related activities have collapsed. The agricultural sector has suffered heavily. The highest level of unemployment in Kazakhstan is in the Aral Sea region.