Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features the Aral Sea, captured by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station while orbiting over Kazakhstan. 

Although it is referred to as a sea, the Aral Sea is technically an endorheic lake that straddles the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, receiving water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. 

Severe desertification of the Aral Sea

Over the last six decades, extensive diversion of these rivers for agricultural irrigation has dramatically reduced the lake’s surface area, which once might have covered most of this image.

Formerly the fourth largest lake in the world by surface area, the Aral Sea has shrunk to about 10% of its original size since the 1960s. 

The Aralkum Desert

The southeast region of the lake has undergone severe desertification, giving rise to the Aralkum Desert – one of the world’s newest deserts, covering 62,000 square kilometers (24,000 square miles). 

The image shows sand dunes in the bottom-center, formed by winds sweeping across the barren landscape. The shrinking of the Aral Sea has also led to frequent sand and dust storms, worsening local air quality.

The Barsa-Kelmes Nature Reserve

In the local Turkic language, “aral” means “island,” reflecting the lake’s history of containing over 1,100 islands. One such island hosts the Barsa-Kelmes Nature Reserve, located between what remains of the North and South Aral Seas. 

The reserve is home to hundreds of plant and animal species. Efforts to revive the local ecosystem and curb further aridification are underway, including a project supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development which involves planting black saxaul shrubs (Haloxylon aphyllum). 

These shrubs help stabilize the soil and reduce dust storm impacts, aiding in the recovery of native flora and fauna.

Destruction of the Aral Sea

The Aral Sea was once known for its vibrant fishing industry, which was a cornerstone of the local economy – particularly in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – for centuries. 

In the 1950s, the sea supported a thriving fishery, with annual catches of around 40,000 to 50,000 tons of fish. Several species of fish thrived in its waters, including carp, roach, bream, and the Aral barbel.

Collapse of the fishing industry 

However, the industry began to collapse in the 1960s when the Soviet government initiated massive irrigation projects that diverted the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers away from the lake to irrigate cotton fields. 

As water levels dropped, salinity increased, making the environment uninhabitable for most fish species.

By the 1980s, commercial fishing became untenable; the industry virtually disappeared, resulting in economic and social hardship for the communities that depended on it.

Ecological disaster

The shrinkage of the Aral Sea is one of the most severe anthropogenic ecological disasters of the 20th century. The loss of the fishing industry was just one of many devastating consequences.

The region experienced a sharp decline in biodiversity, with many native fish species becoming extinct, severely affecting the local fishing industry. The exposed sea bed also created health problems for local populations as winds spread toxic dust and salt from the dry seabed.

Ongoing efforts to restore the Aral Sea

Today, the area struggles with these legacies, even as there are ongoing efforts to revive some parts of the sea and mitigate the environmental damage.

Efforts have been made to partially restore the Northern Aral Sea, which has seen some improvement in water levels and fish populations due to the construction of a dam. 

However, the larger Southern Aral Sea remains largely desiccated and the overall environmental restoration of the area is a complex and ongoing challenge.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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