Aral Sea's transformation into a salt desert

Between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where fishermen and cargo ships once navigated the Aral Sea, now stretches a white and sterile steppe known as the Aralkum. This area, covering about 27,000 km²—roughly the size of Brittany—was once the seabed of the fourth-largest inland body of water on Earth.

Historical cause of the Aral Sea's decline

The process began in 1960, when the Soviet Union diverted the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers to irrigate cotton fields. These rivers previously fed the Aral Sea, but their diversion caused the sea to shrink dramatically over the decades.

Extent of the Aral Sea's reduction

According to CNES, the Aral Sea covered 66,460 km² in 1960, twice the size of Belgium. Today, only 7,300 km² remain, representing a 90 percent reduction in surface area over six decades. This decline is attributed to unsustainable water use, especially for agriculture.

The Aralkum's composition and environmental impact

The soil of the Aralkum is not ordinary sand. Beneath a chalky crust, concentrated marine salts and pesticide residues from upstream cotton fields have accumulated. These conditions make the area inhospitable to most life, with only hardy saxaul shrubs surviving.

Salt dust emissions and their reach

The dried seabed has become a powerful source of salt dust emissions. Estimates range from 43 million to 150 million tons per year, with these dust storms affecting regions thousands of kilometers away, including the Himalayas, Scandinavia, and the Arctic.

Remaining parts of the Aral Sea

In the central-south of Kazakhstan, the Small Aral Sea remains as a residual system of the former sea. It includes three annexes in the process of individualization, such as Butakov and Shevchenko, according to CNES. A dam, the Kok-Aral Dam, built in 2005, has led to a partial revival of the area, with fishing resuming as early as 2006.

Environmental and ecological consequences

CNES reports that 28 endemic species have disappeared from the Aral Sea. While some local infrastructure projects aim to slow desertification, no major structural reconsideration of the region’s water management has emerged, despite publicized efforts.