Sea of hope: how Kazakhstan is reviving the Northern Aral

Tengrinews.kz – The Northern Aral is coming back to life. A unique environmental project has helped achieve what seemed impossible just 30 years ago. Dividing the once unified body of water into separate parts became the key to saving its northern half. Today, the first man-made sea — the Small Aral — is taking on new contours, citing 24.kz.

In the 1960s, the Aral Sea was the fourth-largest lake in the world by area, the TV channel recalled. The body of water covered almost 70,000 square kilometers. But the irrational use of water resources led to disaster: the Aral lost three quarters of its volume and more than half of its water surface.

“In the first years of independence, there were serious plans to disband the region. The Aral was rapidly retreating, factories were closing, and residents were leaving their homes en masse. The project ‘Regulation of the Syr Darya Riverbed and Preservation of the Northern Part of the Aral Sea’ became the salvation. It brought water back, and with it, coastal villages came back to life,” said regional maslikhat deputy Zhorabek Nurymbetov.

The Kokaral Dam, built in 2005 as part of this project, became the main symbol of the Aral’s revival. The 13-kilometer concrete barrier made it possible to stop water from flowing away and to fill the northern part of the sea — the Small Aral. Previously, the city of Aralsk and the sea were separated by 70 kilometers; today, that distance has been reduced to 17.

“Today, more than 23.5 billion cubic meters of water have accumulated in the Small Aral. The Kokaral Dam made it possible to raise its level to almost 41 meters according to the Baltic system. The current inflow is 45 cubic meters per second, which is twice last year’s figure. Since the beginning of the year, 830 million cubic meters of water have already entered the sea. The annual supply plan is two billion,” explained Zeynolla Kaztoganov, head of the Aral-Syrdarya Basin Water Inspectorate.

Previously, the Aral’s salty water was suitable only for flounder. Now, more than 20 species of fish live here. Fishing has revived, and processing plants have opened. Local authorities emphasize that the region has moved from the stage of rescue to sustainable development. A new project to preserve the Northern Aral has already been developed with the support of the World Bank.

“A decision was made that there will be a single-level sea, with the current mark raised by another two meters to the 44-meter mark according to the Baltic system. First of all, this project will allow us to increase the surface area of the Aral Sea from 3.1 to 3.9 square kilometers, as well as increase the water volume to the design level of 34,000 cubic meters of water... there will be seven billion more cubic meters of water. This will make it possible to develop fisheries in the future... commercial catch may reach 15,000–16,000 tons of fish per year,” said Bakyt Zhakhanov, Deputy Akim of Kyzylorda Region.

Today, the Aral has not yet returned to its former shores, but it has already ceased to be a symbol of disaster. Now it is a symbol of hope, the article notes.