The Aral Sea in Central Asia is the world’s fourth largest lake — or at least it used to be. NASA just released time-lapse photos taken by its Terra satellite over the last 14 years that show its complete disappearance.
Since 2000, the massive body of water has undergone a devastating change that reminds us how much our actions affect the planet.
In the 1960’s, the Soviet Union undertook a major water project in the plains of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, right near where the Aral Sea happened to sit. To create more fertile farming land, the Soviets diverted the flow of two major rivers, leading them away from the massive lake.
In doing so, they transformed the desert into a farming oasis. But, as NASA wrote, “although irrigation made the desert bloom, it devastated the Aral Sea.”
Climate change proceeded to accelerate the lake’s decline. From 2005 to 2009, the drying process increased significantly, causing the local fishing economy to tank.
Kazakhstan attempted to save the lake by building a dam in 2005, but it was a fruitless effort. Since then, the lake has essentially disappeared.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has called the lake’s evaporation one of the planet’s “worst environmental disasters.” Unfortunately, it’s just one of many we’ve had a hand in creating.
Considering some researchers say we’re facing an “insurmountable” water crisis, much of which is caused by our lack of unsustainable lifestyles, the loss of such a precious water source is devastating.
The people who still reside in the area surrounding the Aral Sea now suffer from a lack of fresh water and a host of other health problems, many of which are the result of dust storms. In all, the damage to the region has been estimated at over $1 billion U.S. dollars.
Instead of being overwhelmed by the loss of the Aral Sea, let it serve as a reminder that our decisions as Earth’s residents deeply affect all of nature. Let’s use this to gather together and make some changes to protect the world’s remaining wonders from a similar fate.
