Transcript Слайд 1 - Regional Resource Center for Asia and Pacific

Aral Sea Ecological Crisis:
global and regional initiatives
to save Aral Sea
Regional Media Workshop:
Sustainable Development – A Viable Goal?
27 October 2008
The Amari Watergate, Bangkok, Thailand
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Central Asia
Aral Sea Catastrophe in figures
Aral Sea Basin – 690 000
sq.km
Fourth largest lakes in the
world - 64 490 sq. km
Depth – 71 meter (53 in
1960)
Salinity – 10 g/l
"The Aral crisis is the result of a shortsighted policy towards
environment and natural resources. The main cause is the excessive
use of water from the Amudarya and the Syrdarya for irrigation needs.
This led to a drying up of the Aral Sea and is unprecedented in its
scale of impact on the ecology of the Central Asian region and
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neighboring republics ". -- Nukus Declaration - 1995
Aral sea catastrophe
• Sources of the problem
• Consequences
• Current status of the Aral
sea
• SD initiatives
Indicators
1960
1990
Water level, meters
53.40
38.24
31.0
Volume, km³
1083
323
112.8
Surface area, 000 km²
68.90
36.8
18.24
Mineralization, ‰
9.90
29
78.0
63
12.5
3.2*
Water Flow, km³/year
2003
4
The scale of the problem
Aralsk
KAZAKHSTAN
Muinak
UZBEKISTAN
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Nukus
What was achieved
economically?
• 1,200 km artificial canal in Turkmenistan
deserts consuming 1/3 of Amudarya water
flow
• 7 million ha of irrigated land
• 80 water reservoirs for energy production
and agriculture
• 45 hydro power plants – 34 GW
Sacrificed for Cotton
• The length of
irrigation canals –
316 000 km
• The number of wells
for vertical drainage
– 865
• The total length of
drainage network –
192 000 km
• Only 21% of canals
had beds insulation
cover preventing
infiltration
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20 years project’s outcomes
• Annual decrease of water level – 0.6-1.0 m
• Combined water flow of Amudarya and
Syrdarya diminished from 60 km3 in 1959 to 4.2
km3 in 1981
• In 1990 sea level dropped by 15 m, water
volume decreased 4 times, surface – 2 times
• By 2003 the volume was 10% of the 1960
baseline level and surface – 25%
• Salinity increased 4 times and reached the level
of an open sea
Ecological consequences
• Increased water salinity
– loss of biodiversity
• Changing of regional
climate
• Desertification – 56 000
km2
• Salt sands storms –
hazardous salts were
found in Norway forests
and in penguins blood!
Social and economic losses
• 180,000 people living at the sea directly
affected
• Mother and child mortality rates –
120/10,000 and 75/1000
• Increased disease rate of local population
• Migration of local population
• Insufficient access to
drinking water
• Loss of employment
Regional Initiatives
• 4 regional declarations:
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1995 - Nukus Declaration
1997 – Almaty Declaration
1999 – Ashgabat Declaration
2002 – Dushanbe Declaration
Aral Sea Basin Programs (1-2):1995-2008
Regional Environmental Action Plan
Sub-regional SD Strategy for Central Asia
National SD Strategies
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Sub-regional Sustainable Development
Strategy for Central Asia
Goal 1. Sustainable Economic Development
Goal 2: Sound Ecosystem Management
Goal 3: Ensure Social Security
Goal 4: Promote good governance
Goal 5: Protection of natural and cultural heritage
Goal 6: Peace and security
Goal 7: Water and security
Goal 8: Energy security
Mechanism of financing
Conclusion
Projects and programs
Aral Sea Basin Programme - 1: US$ 600 million (1994-2001)
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Stabilization of environment situation in the Aral Sea Basin
Rehabilitation of disturbed ecosystems of the Aral Sea region
Improvement of methods of water and land resources control in the basin
Establishment of administrative structures of all levels for planning and
implementation of actions of the Programme.
Aral Sea Basin Programme – 2 (2002-2005)
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KAZAKHSTAN –
KYRGYZSTAN –
TAJIKISTAN –
TURKMENISTAN –
UZBEKISTAN –
TOTAL:
US$ 330 million
US$ 140 million
US$ 423 million
US$ 72 million
US$ 30 million
US$995 million
Concept on Transition for SD
in Kazakhstan 2007-2024
GOAL: to achieve integration of economic, social, environmental
and political development factors as a process aimed on
improvement of quality of life.
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Preparatory: 2007-2009 set up conditions for SD principles
First stage: 2010-2012 qualitative competition, rating
Second stage: 2013-2018 increased life quality, env. sustainability
Third stage: 2019-2024 achievement of international standards
• Objectives: Increase efficiency of use of resources, life
duration , and Environmental Sustainability Index.
• Components and mechanisms: political, social, economic and
environmental; SD of the Ecosystems (8 river basin systems);
Institutional support
Territorial approach: 8 zones of Sustainable Ecosystem
Development ( Local Agenda 21 in Kazakhstan)
National programs: Kazakhstan
• Complex solution of Aral region problems
for 2004-2006
• Republican budget -- $ 255 million.
• Objectives:
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improvement of ecological situation
improvement of population health
development of social infrastructure
provision the access to drinking water
creation of conditions for development of
economic activities
Thank you for attention!