Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Research › peer-review
The Aral Sea: A Story of Devastation and Partial Recovery of a Large Lake. / Micklin, Philip; Aladin, Nikolai V.; Chida, Tetsuro et al.
Springer Water. Springer Nature, 2020. p. 109-141 (Springer Water).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Research › peer-review
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TY - CHAP
T1 - The Aral Sea: A Story of Devastation and Partial Recovery of a Large Lake
AU - Micklin, Philip
AU - Aladin, Nikolai V.
AU - Chida, Tetsuro
AU - Boroffka, Nikolaus
AU - Plotnikov, Igor S.
AU - Krivonogov, Sergey
AU - White, Kristopher
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - The Aral Sea was a huge brackish-water lake lying in a tectonic depression amidst the deserts of Central Asia. Water bodies of various dimensions have repeatedly filled this depression over the past several million years. Its modern incarnation is thought to be somewhat more than 20,000 years in age. In modern times, the sea supported a major fishery and functioned as a key regional transportation route. But since the 1960s, the Aral has undergone rapid desiccation and salinization, overwhelmingly the result of unsustainable expansion of irrigation that largely dried up its two tributary rivers, the Amu Dar’ya and Syr Dar’ya (dar’ya in the Turkic languages of Central Asia means river) before they reached the Aral Sea. The desiccation of the Aral Sea has had severe negative impacts, including, among others, the demise of commercial fishing, devastation of the floral and faunal biodiversity of the native ecosystems of the Syr and Amu Deltas, and increased frequency and strength of salt/dust storms. However, efforts have been and are being made to partially restore the sea’s hydrology along with its biodiversity, and economic value. The northern part of the Aral has been separated from the southern part by a dike and dam, leading to a level rise and lower salinity. This has allowed native fishes to return from the rivers and revitalized the fishing industry. Partial preservation of the Western Basin of the southern Aral Sea may be possible, but these plans need much further environmental and economic analysis.
AB - The Aral Sea was a huge brackish-water lake lying in a tectonic depression amidst the deserts of Central Asia. Water bodies of various dimensions have repeatedly filled this depression over the past several million years. Its modern incarnation is thought to be somewhat more than 20,000 years in age. In modern times, the sea supported a major fishery and functioned as a key regional transportation route. But since the 1960s, the Aral has undergone rapid desiccation and salinization, overwhelmingly the result of unsustainable expansion of irrigation that largely dried up its two tributary rivers, the Amu Dar’ya and Syr Dar’ya (dar’ya in the Turkic languages of Central Asia means river) before they reached the Aral Sea. The desiccation of the Aral Sea has had severe negative impacts, including, among others, the demise of commercial fishing, devastation of the floral and faunal biodiversity of the native ecosystems of the Syr and Amu Deltas, and increased frequency and strength of salt/dust storms. However, efforts have been and are being made to partially restore the sea’s hydrology along with its biodiversity, and economic value. The northern part of the Aral has been separated from the southern part by a dike and dam, leading to a level rise and lower salinity. This has allowed native fishes to return from the rivers and revitalized the fishing industry. Partial preservation of the Western Basin of the southern Aral Sea may be possible, but these plans need much further environmental and economic analysis.
KW - Dust
KW - Irrigation
KW - Lake history
KW - Lake level
KW - Salt
KW - Water diversion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85101100005&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-030-42254-7_4
DO - 10.1007/978-3-030-42254-7_4
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:85101100005
SN - 978-3-030-42253-0
T3 - Springer Water
SP - 109
EP - 141
BT - Springer Water
PB - Springer Nature
ER -
ID: 34743910