A Sea Dying of Thirst

THE Aral sea in the Soviet Union is the world’s fourth-largest inland body of water. But it is shrinking so rapidly that at its present rate, it will dry up completely by early next century.

According to South magazine, nearly half of the area covered by the original lake has been reduced to a saline desert. “The water left in the depleted Aral has become so saline that 20 of the 24 species of fish which used to live there have disappeared,” notes the magazine.

In the past the huge Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers poured more than 12 cubic miles [50 cu km] of water into the Aral sea each year. But now this abundant water supply has been reduced to a mere trickle. Why? According to South magazine, these rivers are being used to irrigate the ever-expanding cotton and rice fields in the region.

The Soviet government has now launched a program to save the Aral sea from the clutches of the desert. By modernizing irrigation systems and reducing the areas devoted to growing cotton and rice, the program aims to save two cubic miles [9 cu km] of water a year, and it is hoped that this can be increased to seven cubic miles [30 cu km] early next century. Although this would not restore the lake to its original size, hopefully it would prevent further shrinkage. South magazine notes that many fear that this program is another case of “too little, too late.”

[Maps on page 31]

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Aral sea

1960

1989

2000?

Syr Darya

Amu Darya

[Map]

U.S.S.R.

Area enlarged