Dead Aral Sea

The Aral Sea (Aral, KAZ. Teңіzі Aral, UZB. Orol dengizi, karakalp. Aral ten'izi) - endorheic salt lake in Central Asia, on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Since 1960-ies of the XX century, the sea level (and the volume of water in it) is rapidly declining due to diversion of water from the main supply Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers for irrigation purposes. Prior to the shallowing of the Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake in the world. Drainage water coming from the fields into the mainstream of the Syrdarya and Amudarya caused deposits of pesticides and various other agricultural pesticides, appearing sometimes 54 thousand. Square kilometers of former sea bottom covered with salt. Dust storms spread salt, dust and pesticides at a distance of 500 km. Sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate airborne and kill or retard the development of natural vegetation and crops. The local population suffers from a high incidence of respiratory diseases, anemia, cancer of the larynx and esophagus, as well as digestive disorders. Participation of liver and kidney disease, eye diseases. In 2001, as a result of the fall of the water level of the Renaissance island connected to the mainland. On this island, the Soviet Union tested biological weapons: anthrax, tularemia, brucellosis, plague, typhus, smallpox, and botulinum toxin were tested here on horses, monkeys, sheep, donkeys and other laboratory animals. It is the cause of concern that the deadly microorganisms remain viable and infected rodents may be their distributors in other regions. According to calculations of scientists to save the Aral Sea is no longer possible. Even if completely abandon the diversion of water from the Amudarya and Syrdarya, the previous level of the water in it will be restored not earlier than 200 years.
17 photo © AP / Sergey Ponomarev

01) School children play on an abandoned ship in the former port of Aralsk.