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Tonie Clemons
DR. Whitman
SOE 110 Environmental Science
Fall 2018

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Quick video to explain what a watershed is.

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Photo courtesy of NASA
(Center, 2018)
The Yellowish outline is where the Aral Sea used to exted to.

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-Area of basin – 1 550 000 km²

-Irrigated area – 7.95 million ha (excluding Afghanistan)

-Renewable water resources – 130 km³ of water per year

-Total amount of water reservoirs with capacity of more than 100 million m³ – 80

-Total capacity of water reservoirs – 60 km³

-Total length of irrigation network:

inter-farm – 47.75 th. km

on-farm – 268.6 th. km

-Total amount of drainage wells – 865 th.

-Total length of collector-drainage network – 191.9 th. km,

including subsurface – 47.9 th. km

-Electric power generation – 126 billion kW h,

including hydro electric power – 34.5 billion kW h

One of the worst Environmental disasters of the world.

(Information, 2018)

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The Aral Sea is located between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Karakalpak Republic, Tjikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan,  and Afghanistan. Having so many countries dependent on it's resources, makes it difficult to come together for any restoration projects(Salman, Saud, & Ward, 2017 (544)).

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The Aral Sea and the rivers that feed it.

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The Aral Sea and the rivers that feed it.

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From the Mouths of Children:
Irrigation
Water Diversion
Population Increase
Cotton Production
Drought

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Fertile lands of the delta of the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers, as well as highly productive pastures provided employment for more than 100 thousand people in the sphere of livestock, poultry farming, growing of agricultural crops. Fisheries that had annual catch rates of 30-35 thousand tons, 38 species of fish, 638 Species of higher plants, Clean Water,  Wetland environment,  land for cattle, hunting areas, clean ground water, biological diversity, licorice production.

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References

Apta, H. (2018, January 22). Interesting Aral Sea Facts. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlC7-NNwikI

Bekchanov, M., Ringler, C., Bhaduri, A., & Jeuland, M. (2016). Optimizing irrigation efficiency improvements in the Aral Sea Basin. Water Resources and Economics (13), 30-45.

Bennet, K. (2008, May 23). World Resources Institute. Retrieved from Disappearance of the Aral Sea: https://www.wri.org/blog/2008/05/disappearance-aral-sea

Center, N. G. (2018, Oct. 11). EOS Project Science Office. Retrieved from NASA Earth Observatory: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/77193/the-aral-sea-before-the-streams-ran-dry

Clemons, T. (2018, October 13). Transboundary Watershed Writing Assignment One. Spokane , WA, USA.

Earth, G. (2016, November 29). Google Timelapse: Aral Sea. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBz_7qTNCQE

Information, C. W. (2018, Oct 13). CA Water Info. Retrieved from CAWaterInfo Portal of Knowledge for Water and Environmental Issues in Central Asia: http://www.cawater-info.net/index_e.htm

kensingtongeogrophy. (2009, February 6). Aral Sea. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS6X3P7gWWA

King, A. &. (2018, August 23). Environmental Science and Sustainable Solutions Revised Third Edition. Washington.

Laboratory, N. P. (2018, Oct 14). Science Daily. Retrieved from Science Daily .com: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140214143529.htm

Lee, O. S., & Jung, Y. (2018). Efficiency of water use and its implications for a water-food nexus in the Aral Sea Basin. Agricultural Water Management (207), 80-90.

Nations, U. (2018, November 20). Problems of the Aral Sea and water resources of Central Asia. Retrieved from THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN TO THE UNITED NATIONS: https://www.un.int/uzbekistan/news/problems-aral-sea-and-water-resources-central-asia

Nations, U. (2018, January 19). UN Chief on Regional Partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8saNsuxhaD4

News, B. (2015, February 25). Aral Sea: Man-made environmental Disaster. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzvEW1FHc60

News, E. (2018, August 31). Facing up to the challenges of the fast disappearing Aral Sea. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQLQjMwnkLo

Programme, U. N. (2018, Oct 9). UNEP. Retrieved from United Nations Environment Programme Environment for Development: https://na.unep.net/geas/getUNEPPageWithArticleIDScript.php?article_id=108

Reporter, E. (2016, October 19). Aral Sea: Frank Schwalba Hoth Explains Efforts Being Made. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=j8iu7PXcmBo

Salman, D., Saud, A. A., & Ward, F. A. (2017 (544)). Protecting food security when facing uncertain climate: Opportunities for Afghan communities. Journal of Hydrology, 200-215.

Sea, E. C. (2011). Water Unities Sereving the People of Central Asia. Retrieved from Water Unities: http://ec-ifas.waterunites-ca.org/aral_basin/66-the-aral-sea-basin.html

TV, K. (2018, February 26). US$3 million will be allocated to address the Aral Sea problem as part of the UN development program. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zJXQzwwm68

Watershed, B. R. (2013, 12 December). What is A Watershed? Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=QOrVotzBNto

Waterunitesca. (2012, March 5). Aral Sea. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CULwo5W2ppk

ZINC. (2047, June 1). The Aral Sea Has Risen Again. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Bd2zgaIUo

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In 1918, the Soviet Union was having their own gold rush, of White Gold, Cotton. decided to divert fresh water from the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya for irrigation. This was an essential part of their plans to increase cotton production. Knowing the water diversion would reduce the mighty Aral Sea to just a brine lake, the decision makers believed the benefits of the agricultural output when weighed against the ecosystem service benefits of the Aral sea, the dessecation was deemed worthwhile(Nations, 2018).
The dried up sea bed produced dust storms heavily polluted with fertilizer and pesticide sediments leftover from intensive agriculture. This in turn caused increased air and water pollution and crop damage to crops several miles away. The health of the people wa sthreatened and reports of cancer, anemia, kidney disease, miscarriages, and live disease soared in the area (Bennet, 2008).

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Timelapse is a global, zoomable video that lets you see how the Earth has changed over the past 32 years. Explore the world through time at https://earthengine.google.com/timelapse. Image credit: Landsat / Copernicus

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Fertile Deltas, productive pastures, and the Aral Sesa itself served as a climate adjusting reservior that cooled warm air in the summer, and warmed cool air in the winter months. The folks in charge of regulating services to keep them around did not do their job, without consideration of the effects of urbinization on the environment or eco systems

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Unique and beautiful, an oasis of animals, fish and beautiful fauna. The once heavily depended upon social connection the Aral Sea provided for the fishing communities is now gone along with over 100 thousand jobs taken with it, entire family fishing businesses shud down due to a dried up Sea.

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Changes in the Aral Sea 2000-2013. As we can see here the Aral Sea did not take long to dry out.

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Earth, the lush green forested planet we call home that provides us with our food, water, recreation, spiritual enjoyment and awareness is, right now, carefully and systematically being ravaged by these same types of advances. Does the effect of these types of advances actually positively affect our relationship with earth’s environment, or are they having lasting negative effects? As Humans in a global race for becoming technologically advanced, the things we have achieved have been extremely helpful and even lifesaving, making our relationship to these technological advances necessary and dare I say an addiction both physically and spiritually (Clemons, 2018).

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Aral Sea: Man-made environmental disaster.
Quick film about what happened to the Aral sea, and how the people view the possibility of getting it back(News, 2015).

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Aral Sea: Man-made environmental disaster - BBC News

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The major uses of the ASB were for irrigation and farming of cotton, cereals, wheat, and rice, and diverting the irrigation doubled the agricultural area, although changing the water, and re-routing it did have wonderous effects on the farming and crops, however, it became the beginning of the end of the once beautiful Aral Sea (Clemons, 2018) (Information, 2018) (Programme, 2018)

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Position of Uzbekistan on the use of water resources of transboundary rivers in Central Asia

"The Republic of Uzbekistan believes that the issue of the use of water resources in Central Asia should be considered in accordance with the universally recognized norms of international law that guarantee the rational and equitable distribution of water resources and ensure that the interests of all countries of the region are taken into account.

Given the fact that Uzbekistan currently, like other Central Asian countries located in the lower reaches of transboundary rivers, suffers a serious water shortage, the position of the Government of Uzbekistan on the use of transboundary water resources in Central Asia is as follows:"(Nations, 2018)

- the use of water resources of transboundary rivers in Central Asia should be solved taking into account the interests of more than 60 million people residing in all countries of the region;

- any actions carried out on transboundary rivers should not have a negative impact on the existing ecological and water balance of the region;

- the current international legal framework in the sphere of water use and ecology should become the basis for building an effective system for joint use of the resources of the transboundary rivers in Central Asia;

- the implementation of projects should be carried out on the basis of a constructive approach as well as a compromise that does not infringe upon the interests of other interested countries and guarantees two necessary conditions: prevention of the lowering of the water-balance level agreed upon by the parties for downstream countries; prevention of the violation of the ecological balance of the region (Nations, 2018)
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US$3 million will be allocated to address the Aral Sea problem as part of the UN development program

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Just like in Ernest Cline's Ready Player One..

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Just like in Ernest Cline's Ready Player One..

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The technological advances in Ready Player One "blew up" in many ways, much like irrigation blew up cotton production in the Aral Sea Basin, yet destroyed the Aral Sea. Much like the waste land the “stacks” are described as in Ready Player One the Aral Sea Basin is the environment and wildlife equal/mirror image of the human created wasteland referred to in Ready Player One.

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All that is left from this once thriving fishing community and tourist town is all dried up, and now a desert. The fishing vessels have been left behind.

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Possible yes, entirely attainable, we have yet to see. No amount of virtual reality,  technology or understanding of Anorak's Almanac discussed in the book Ready Player One by Ernest Cline would be beneficial to restore the Aral Sea, at least not in this reality.

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"During the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015, in New York, the Government of Uzbekistan initiated the establishment of a special Trust Fund for the Aral Sea and the Aral Sea zone under the auspices of the United Nations, its main task will be to coordinate efforts and implement targeted programs and projects in the following key areas:

- protection of health and the preservation of the gene pool of the population, the development of an efficient system of incentives for socio-economic development of the area adjacent to Aral, and to create the necessary decent life conditions for the people living in this region;

- preservation of the ecological balance of the Aral Sea region, adoption of consistent measures to combat desertification and implement the rational water use;

- restoration of biodiversity of animal and plant life, the preservation of unique flora and fauna, which is currently on the verge of extinction;

- the use of limited water resources in the region, especially the transboundary waterways - the Amudarya and the Syrdarya, in the interests of all countries in the region and in strict accordance with the norms of international law.(Nations, 2018)
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UN Chief on Regional Partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia

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In 2006 Kazakhstan built a Dam to help restore the Aral Sea.

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Facing up to the challenges of the fast disappearing Aral Sea

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Ecosystem change (loss of habitat, species, ecosystem services, water, pollution, etc.)

Climate change challenges to your water system (how will or is this impacting ecosystem services and the people reliant on the system?)

Water availability, access and quality

Energy access, source, etc.

Agriculture and food security

Current management of the system

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#AralSea: Frank Schwalba Hoth explains efforts being made