Aral Sea Disaster Research Articles

The Aral Sea disaster and self-rated health

This study examined the effect of psychosocial factors and environmental perceptions on self-rated health in the environmentally devastated Aral Sea area of Karakalpakstan. Self-rated health was assessed using a questionnaire on 881 randomly selected individuals from three communities. Communities were chosen based on relative differences with regards to economic and ethnic characteristics, and distance from the sea coast. Consistent with mortality rates in the area, the prevalence of ‘poor’ self-rated health was high. Factors negatively associated with self-rated health include psychosocial impacts and reported environmental concern, as well as community of residence and age. These results demonstrate that the population has a poor perception of their own health, a significant finding given that self-rated health is a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality. It is also clear that psychosocial health is strongly associated with health perceptions. Thus, to improve the overall health of this population, health remediation measures must address physical as well as psychosocial health problems.

Sustainability analysis for irrigation water management in the Aral Sea region

Sustainable irrigation water management should simultaneously achieve two objectives: sustaining irrigated agriculture for food security and preserving the associated natural environment. A stable relationship should be maintained between these two objectives now and in the future, while potential conflicts between these objectives should be mitigated through appropriate irrigation practices. The Aral Sea region in Central Asia is such a region that is most famous for its conflict between sustaining irrigated agriculture and preserving the environment. The current status of irrigation water management in the Aral Sea region demonstrates the Aral Sea disaster as a prime example for unsustainable irrigation development. This paper presents an integrated modeling framework for sustainable irrigation management analysis and applies it to analyze irrigation water management in the Aral Sea region. Based on the modeling outputs, alternative futures of the irrigation practice in the region are explored and it is found that to maintain current irrigation practices will lead to worsening environmental and economic consequences. Investments in infrastructure improvements (about annualized US $299 million) and crop pattern change will be necessary to sustain the irrigated agriculture and the associated environment in the region. Moreover, a penalty tax on salt discharge less than 50 US$ per ton as an economic incentive may help address environmental problems, while having only a small effect on irrigation profit.

Depend or survive - sanitation and hygiene promotion in the Aral Sea disaster zone

Even communities with little tradition of taking responsibility for their own hygiene and health are willing to take part in projects if they feel they are being taken seriously, and see the possibility of addressing real needs.

Implications of the disintegration of the former Soviet Union for desertification control

Following the removal of censorship on environmental information in 1986 the magnitude of the Aral Sea disaster has been publicly acknowledged while the situation has continually worsened. Major efforts by the USSR Academy of Sciences as well as republic scientists since the 1970s have been supplemented by international expertise. The Soviet government adopted a special resolution on the Aral Sea in September 1988, but adequate financing was not available to solve this problem. With the disintegration of the USSR, the new independent states took full responsibility for their desertification control. In a corresponding tide of nationalism, Russia was solely accused of being responsible for the problem, and, not surprisingly, the controversial project of Siberian river diversion has been recently revived. There has been a transition from Russian to state language in all institutions, thus "squeezing out" the speaking of Russian. The Central Asian states have started to explore their own ways to deal with the catastrophe. But political, cultural, and ethnic rivalries between countries; growing nationalism and economic difficulties; and competition for water have not created the conditions to successfully solve desertification problems. Without change, the future of the Aral Sea appears to be bleak.