Transcript The Aral Sea Disaster

The Aral Sea Disaster
• The “quiet Chernobyl”
– Since 1960, the Aral Sea has:
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lost 50% of its surface area
lost 66% of its volume
left behind 3.6 mln ha of polluted soil
contributed to the environmental
degradation of water quality, air quality,
and the melting of glaciers
– Central Asia has
• lost its fishing industry and other
supporting industries
• had an increase in public health problems
• decreased its agricultural production
• experienced changes in climate (longer,
colder winters and shorter, hotter
summers
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/culture/articles/
photo_pages/kohn1.html
Desiccation of the Aral Sea
http://www.grida.no/enrin/graphics.cfm?data_id=9936&country=centralasia
Aral Sea Basin:
Central Asia
•Kazakhstan
•Kyrgyzstan
•Tajikistan
•Turkmenistan
•Uzbekistan
•Afghanistan
Rivers:
•Syr Darya
•Amu Darya
http://www.grida.no/aral/maps/geo.htm
% GDP from
Ag /
% employed
by Ag
Central
Asia
Population
(million)
GDP
(US$)
Kazakhstan
14.8
22.3B
10
Kyrgyzstan
5
1.5B
Tajikistan
6.7
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Land
River Basin
23
Steppe
Syr Darya
39
55
Mountainous
Syr Darya &
Amu Darya
1.03B
20
50
Mountainous
Syr Darya &
Amu Darya
5.5
5.9B
25
44
Desert
Amu Darya
25
7.5B
25
44
Desert
steppe
Syr Darya &
Amu Darya
History
• Soviet-rule
– Direct water in the basin to lower riparians (Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan) for irrigation of cotton fields
• Post-Soviet Era
– Each republic trying to establish its self-sufficiency in
government and economy
• Developing agriculture and hydroelectric potential
– Several different funding organizations have offered assistance
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Building a free-market democracy
Actualizing energy potential (hydroelectric, oil)
Improving water management
Improving health
Socio-economic
• Agriculture
– Largest percentage of countries’ GDPs
– Largest consumer of water
– Land has decreased in productivity due to water logged and high saline
soils
• Fishing
– Was once a profitable industry, but is now virtually non-existent
• Industry
– Some textile factories – now closed or working at reduced loads
• Soviet influence is still felt
– Bureaucracy used to be Soiviet officials and are not open to change
– Citizens often still act as subjects as opposed to participants in
democracy
Discussion
• The republics are moving from a
centralized government to free market
democracies. What avenues should be
taken to help the populace move from the
Soviet culture (citizens as subjects) to this
new culture (citizens have an active
voice)?
Hydropolitics
• Central Asian republics have recognized they
needed to cooperate on water management
issues
– 1992, Interstate Coordination Water Commission
(ICWC) – for control, rational use and protection of
interstate waters
• Continue to use existing Soviet structures and principles for
resource management
World Bank / UN
– 1993, International Fund for the Aral Sea (IFAS) –
attract funding for programs to overcome the
desiccation of the Aral Sea
– 1993, Interstate Council for the Aral Sea (ICAS) –
manage programs of IFAS
– 1997, merger of IFAS and ICAS
Hydropolitics
USAID
– 1998, Executive Committee of the Interstate
Council of the Central Asian Economic
Community (EC CAEC) - barter system
agreement between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
and Uzbekistan on the use of water and
energy resources
Discussion
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USAID has focused on working separately in
the two river basins, as opposed to the Aral
Sea basin-wide approach that other donor
organizations have taken. Which is more
effective, given that each river basin has global
and local concerns?
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If the World Bank is funded by the United
States, why does USAID not cooperate with
World Bank and other donor organizations? If
donors get frustrated with inter-donor conflict,
will the donors leave the region?
Discussion
• USAID’s goals are broader than just
environmental protection; therefore several of its
other aid programs have conflicted with its water
and environment programs. How should USAID
balance its interests with that of the basin?
Whose responsibility is it to justify the
soundness of each project?
• Are donor agencies playing too big of a role in
the development of these republics (replacing
Soviet control over the decisions of the region
with donor control)?
Discussion
• Will the barter agreement developed in the Syr Darya
basin have longevity?
• Three attempts have been made to create a dike to
separate the Small Aral Sea from the Large Aral Sea,
however it keeps getting washed away. When the dike
is in operation, positive results are seen in the Small Aral
Sea – increases in water levels, moderation of the
climate, increases in biodiversity and decreases in
salinity.
Should efforts be made to create a permanent dike?
Is it feasible to restore the Aral Sea (in part or whole) or
should it be considered a loss? Should the focus of
donor money be placed on development of water
resources and energy in the river basins, or to preserve
and restore the Aral Sea?