Why is the Aral Sea shrinking?
People redirect amount of water on the two Rivers to fitness 30 minutes the Aral Sea, S.Darya and A.Darya rivers for irrigation.
The Aral Sea is shrinking due to several reasons, largely anthropogenic (human-caused) factors. Here are some of the most significant factors:
1. Irrigation demands: The main reason for the Aral Sea shrinking is excessive irrigation of the agricultural fields that surround the Aral Sea catchment area. The two main rivers that feed the Aral Sea, Amu Darya and Syr Darya, are heavily diverted into irrigation channels leaving very little water to flow into the Aral Sea. This diversion of water, primarily for cotton crops, has declined the amount of water flowing into the Aral Sea.
2. Climate change: The process has been compounded by the changing climate leading to drier conditions, resulting in less water evaporating from the Aral’s surface area. The hotter and drier climate increased the demand for irrigation water, which results in more and more water being diverted from the rivers.
3. Overuse of groundwater: The over-extraction of groundwater from the near-surface aquifers to aid in irrigation has led to the drying of these aquifers. This has caused the remaining groundwater to flow to the sea, carrying with it salts and pollutants, which have further affected the area’s climate and agricultural productivity.
4. Salinity and pollution: As the water reduced, the salt levels in the remaining water grew, rendering it unusable due to its high salinity. The pollution of the water has also increased, and this has made the remaining water toxic, leading to the desertification of the region around the Aral Sea.
In summary, the Aral Sea is shrinking due to a combination of human-made factors that have spiked the demand on freshwater resources in the area, alongside the natural climatic changes that have caused the remaining water to evaporate and led to the desertification of the area.