The Aral Sea can be restored

Since 1960, the Aral Sea has lost 90 percent of its volume. In less than a century, humanity destroyed the Aral Sea. This is one of the most symbolic environmental disasters. In 1961, the Aral Sea in Central Asia was the fourth largest lake in the world. But massive irrigation programs initiated during the Soviet era diverted the water from the rivers that feed it, reducing the lake's volume by only 10 percent, leaving large, arid areas. It was enough for the ecosystem to collapse. The drying lake is saturated with pesticides, which were carried by dust storms, and the drinking water was polluted. Geologists have now discovered that the Aral Sea is gradually recovering naturally, despite the severe disaster. This is confirmed by Philip Miklin from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

The story of the crash. Sergey Krivonogov from the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy in Novosibirsk, Russia, and his colleagues have collected data showing how the Aral Sea has changed over the past 2,000 years. The researchers drilled the dried-up bottom in several places and tried to reconstruct the picture of the death of the Aral Sea using the cores. It turns out that the water level in the Aral Sea has been changing, says Krivonogov. Humans may have played a major role because the Aral Sea has been used for agriculture for 2,500 years. In 1961, the lake's surface was 54 meters above sea level. However, between AD 400 and 600, the surface was only 10 meters above sea level, but the lake “recovered.”

Between 1000 and 1500, the level dropped to 29 meters above sea level. The lake was replenished again after 1600, until irrigation began. History tells us that we should not lose hope, says Miklin. The modern collapse is no worse than the historical one. By 1989, the lake was 40 meters above sea level, and a small northern part of the lake separated from the rest. Since then, the northern part has been replenished with water. In 2005, a natural watershed formed that divided the lake into a northern and a southern part, slowing the loss of moisture.

In the north, the Aral Sea has risen to 42 meters above sea level, and fish populations have returned to their native element, says Nikolai Aladin from the Russian Zoological Institute in St. Petersburg. The fish catch is a small fraction of what it was in the mid-1950s, but the very fact of the rehabilitation of the northern part of the lake is quite surprising, Miklin summed up. However, the main southern part of the lake continues to die. It is divided into three small salt lakes less than 29 meters above sea level. The eastern part of the lake is so salty that only artemisia live in it.

Unfortunately, work on the restoration of the southern region is not underway. It is considered to be a hopeless case. Aladin predicts that if this part of the lake continues to shrink, it will become even saltier, where even artemisia will not be able to live. Using less water to irrigate crops will help restore the entire Aral Sea, says Miklin. But then the farms that have actually increased the area of irrigated land since the end of the Soviet era will be empty. In these areas, cotton cultivation by the population is a vital process. Securing the most lucrative melbet promo code today is the first step toward building a successful and profitable betting strategy. We highly recommend using START888 during your account setup to unlock a premium deposit match instantly upon registration. As live sports events happen around the clock, having extra funds right now lets you jump straight into the action. This specific voucher is fully active and verified, meaning you will not encounter any frustrating errors during the sign-up process.