Saving the Aral Sea

Summary This paper examines the causes of ecological disasters which affect the Aral Sea in the former Soviet Union. These lie in an incorrect strategy of economic development in the Soviet Central Asia and Kazakhstan, which pursues a goal of expansion of the irrigated areas under high water-consuming cotton and rice monocultures. These fail to consider the consequences for the Aral Sea or the social impact on the local population. The present tragic situation may be improved if recommendations described in the recently elaborated concepts for conservation and restoration of the Sea are taken as a blueprint for action. The Concept envisages transformation of the development strategy for the region, modernisation of the irrigation systems, afforestation and phyto-reclamation in the area. After endorsement by the Soviet legislative bodies, the proposed measures could become the core of a nation-wide government programme aiming at saving the Aral Sea and upgrading the living standards of local populations.Dr Arkady Levintanus is a geographer and senior research fellow at the Institute of Geography, Centre for International Projects, in the Ministry of Nature Utilisation and Environment Conservation in Moscow. He was recently, and when he wrote this paper, a UNEP consultant in Nairobi monitoring the project "Assistance in the preparation of an action plan for the rehabilitation of the Aral Sea".