Transcript The Environmental Disaster of the Aral Sea

The Environmental Disaster of
the Aral Sea
Create a cause-and-effect diagram, which
lists a series of effects that resulted from
diverting (redirecting) water for irrigation.
CAUSE
Water for irrigation is diverted from rivers that feed Aral Sea
Effects
Location:
Why is the Aral Sea
important?
• It was once the
fourth largest inland
body of water on
earth
• It provided rich
fishing resources
• It is an example of
Soviet misuse of the
environment
Fishing once employed many
thousands; unemployment is
at about 40% today.
What started the Aral Sea
problem?
• In the 1950s, the
U.S.S.R. wanted to
grow cotton in the
deserts of Central
Asia
• They needed to
irrigate the land by
using nearby rivers
How was the Aral Sea
affected?
• The Amu Darya
and the Syr Darya
were a source of
irrigation water
• These rivers
feed into the
Aral Sea
• The Aral has
greatly shrunk
Amu Darya River today is a mere
trickle.
The Damage Over Time:
The Damage Over Time:
Ships stranded
due to the lack
of water
Former military ships on
Vozrozhdenie Island
The Effects on Aral Sea Fishing
Only the cans in the museum
recall the past - all the canning
factories have gone, the
population has shrunk to 1,500.
In 1957 the Aral provided 26,000
tons of fish - today a catch is
rare.
Other Environmental Problems:
• Cotton cultivation
requires the use of
pesticides and
fertilizers
• The use of these
agents in the Aral
Sea region have
caused huge
health problems
Around 70% of women suffer
from anemia and the death rate
in childbirth is high.
Other Human Costs:
The small bazaar in Muynak has almost no
fruits or vegetables and the people feel
abandoned by the world.
Soviet Damage to the Land and Humans
Intense air pollution due to industry on
Russia’s Kola Peninsula
Semey, Kazakhstan – children suffer from birth defects due to
nuclear fallout. Between 1949 and 1989 nearly 500 nuclear
devices were detonated here.
Magnitogorsk, Russia - outside the Lenin Steel Works.
Baku, Azerbaijan – leaking oil rigs in their back yard become
the only playgrounds for children in Baku.
Siauliai, Lithuania - Soviet military personnel left
behind environmental damages which would cost
up to $250 million to clean up.
Kiev, Ukraine. 1993 - Baffling cases of allergies and skin
diseases among children are common due to pollution and
radiation from Chernobyl.
Magnitogorsk, Russia - birth defects are reported to have
doubled here since 1980.