Como a União Soviética secou um Mar

Summary

The Aral Sea, once the fourth largest lake in the world, was disastrously shrunk due to Soviet water diversion policies for cotton irrigation in the 1960s. This led to ecological collapse, including increased salinity, fish extinction, and widespread health problems in the surrounding regions. Despite efforts to revitalize parts of the lake, such as the construction of the Kokaral Dam in Kazakhstan, the southern portion remains dry. Political challenges and a focus on cotton agriculture hinder full recovery, leaving the region in a state of environmental and economic distress. The Aral Sea disaster highlights the long-term consequences of mismanaged water resources.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Aral Sea was once the fourth largest lake in the world but became one of the worst environmental disasters due to Soviet policies.
• 😀 In the 1950s, the Aral Sea covered 66,000 square kilometers, which is equivalent to the size of Rio de Janeiro and Alagoas combined.
• 😀 The Soviet Union diverted rivers that fed the Aral Sea for cotton irrigation, causing a drastic reduction in the lake's water volume and ecological damage.
• 😀 The Aral Sea has shrunk to only 10% of its former size and is undergoing desertification, severely affecting the local population and ecosystem.
• 😀 The lake’s shrinkage started in the 1960s when the Soviet Union expanded cotton production, increasing water usage but leading to a drop in the lake's water levels.
• 😀 By 1987, the Aral Sea split into two parts due to its dramatic shrinkage: the Northern part (smaller) and the Southern part (larger).
• 😀 The loss of the Aral Sea led to major environmental issues, including increased salinity and contamination from pesticides and fertilizers, which killed fish and made water undrinkable.
• 😀 The region surrounding the Aral Sea became highly polluted, leading to health issues such as respiratory diseases, digestive problems, and cancer, particularly among the Karakalpakstan people.
• 😀 Dust storms, carrying toxic salinated soil and chemicals, spread contamination as far as Japan, Sweden, and Norway.
• 😀 After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, efforts to save the Aral Sea were undertaken by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, but coordination issues slowed progress.
• 😀 Kazakhstan's construction of the Kokaral Dam in 2005 helped revive the Northern Aral Sea, restoring water levels and boosting the local economy through fishing and other industries.

Q & A

What was the Aral Sea, and where was it located?

The Aral Sea was once the fourth-largest lake in the world, located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It was known for its large size, covering 66,000 square kilometers.

How did the Soviet Union contribute to the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea?

The Soviet Union diverted the rivers that fed the Aral Sea, namely the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, for agricultural irrigation, particularly to grow cotton. This drastically reduced the water supply to the sea, causing it to shrink.

What were the main consequences of the shrinking of the Aral Sea?

The shrinking of the Aral Sea led to severe environmental degradation, including increased salinity of the water, destruction of ecosystems, and the collapse of local industries, especially fishing. It also caused health issues for local populations due to dust storms carrying toxic substances.

What were the main crops grown around the Aral Sea during Soviet times?

The Soviet Union focused on expanding cotton farming around the Aral Sea, leading to higher water consumption for irrigation and contributing to the shrinking of the lake.

How did the shrinking of the Aral Sea affect the local climate?

The shrinking of the Aral Sea made the local climate more extreme, with harsher winters and hotter summers. It also caused a significant loss of humidity in the region.

What health problems arose from the environmental damage around the Aral Sea?

The environmental degradation around the Aral Sea led to various health problems, including high rates of respiratory diseases, digestive disorders, infections, and cancers, particularly in the Karakalpakstan region.

How did the salinity of the Aral Sea compare to regular seawater?

The salinity of the Aral Sea was about 316 grams per liter in 1990, which was much higher than regular seawater, which typically has a salinity of around 35 grams per liter.

What attempts were made to save the Aral Sea?

In 1994, the countries around the Aral Sea, including Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, formed a joint committee to address the issue. Kazakhstan also built a dam in 2005, called the Kokaral Dam, to help stabilize water levels in the northern part of the sea.

What was the role of the Kokaral Dam in the recovery of the Aral Sea?

The Kokaral Dam, constructed in 2005, helped raise the water level in the northern part of the Aral Sea and reduced its salinity. This contributed to the revival of the northern Aral Sea and led to the resurgence of fishing industries.

Why is the southern part of the Aral Sea still shrinking?

The southern part of the Aral Sea is still shrinking because there is insufficient water flow due to the diversion of the Amu Darya River for agricultural use. The reliance on cotton farming in the region has continued to hinder efforts for the recovery of the southern part of the lake.