Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

part  of  the  Large  Aral  Sea  are  currently  connected  by  a  narrow 
canal. This canal will dry up in the case of continuing sea level 
decrease
1
. 
Aral Sea played a key role in the economy of the region. Annual 
fish  harvesting  was  approximately  400-500  thousand  metric 
centners, and the volume of cargo turnover was ~250 000 tons. The 
Aral crisis is one of the most significant ecological disasters. About 
35 million people including a considerable part of the Uzbekistan’s 
1 
Johansson O., Aimbetov I., Jarsjo J. (2009) Variation of groundwater salinity 
in the partially irrigated Amudarya River delta, Uzbekistan. J. Mar. System, 76, 
287-295
Figure 3.11. 
Aral 
Sea continues to 
shrink (2009) (Jesse 
Allen – NASA Earth 
Observatory)

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3. Water resources of Uzbekistan
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population experience its impact. Increased water scarcity in the 
region  has  created  social  problems  in  Karakalpakstan  and  the 
Khorezm Province. The present ecological situation has negatively 
affected  1.5  million  people.  The  region’s  once-prosperous  fishing 
industry has been essentially destroyed, bringing unemployment 
and economic hardship. The Aral Sea region is also heavily polluted, 
with consequent serious public health problems. The retreat of the 
sea has reportedly also caused local climate change, with summers 
becoming hotter and drier, and winters colder and longer.