The Aral Sea: a lesson in Human-Environment Interaction

Fishing Industry Dies…

Because there was too much salt in the water it began killing the plants and animals.

All 20 species of fish that once lived in the Sea are now extinct.

As the marine life died, the fishing industry suffered.

The once thriving fishing industry employing roughly 60,000 people in the early 1960s has been destroyed.

Old fishing boats in dried lake bed.

Effects on Climate

• Due to the recession of the Aral Sea, the climate has changed ...
• Lakes and seas tend to have a moderating effect on the climate. In other words, the land right next to a body of water tends to be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than land that's not near the water. As the Aral Sea has lost water, the climate has become more extreme

Winters have become harsher and longer.

Summers hotter and shorter.

Poisonous Effects …

• The farms in the area use some highly toxic pesticides and other harmful chemicals. For decades, these chemicals contaminated the river water that once led to the Aral Sea.
• When the wind blows across the dried-up sea bed, it carries dust containing these toxic chemicals resulting in poor drinking water and pollution of the earth.

Effects on the People

• Drinking water supplies have dwindled, and the water is contaminated with pesticides and other agricultural chemicals as well as bacteria and viruses.
• People have become poorer and cannot afford healthy food, they grow weak and therefore easy victims to diseases such as tuberculosis. Other health problems like anemia, heart problems and respiratory diseases are rampant

Salt and Dust in the air…

• An effect of the reduction in the Aral Sea’s size is the exposure of the lake bed. Today, strong winds blow the exposed land picking up and depositing tens of thousands of tons soil every year.
• This process has contributed to significant reduction in breathable air quality for nearby residents
• It has also affected crop yields due to those heavily salt-laden particles falling on arable land.