The Kahzak "Miracle"

One of the worst wounds inflicted on Earth by man was the draining of the Aral Sea. The Soviet Union literally drained the sea by damming two major rivers that feed it for irrigation of cotton and rice crops in the 1960s. The volume of the sea decreased by three-quarters, devastating the regional ecology and local economies dependant on fishing. Kazakhstan, which borders the sea with Uzbekistan, announced that it's effort to restore the sea's northern portion is starting to show results. The program was launched in 2001 by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev and is supported by the World Bank. The $260 million rescue program has increased the North Aral Sea's surface by about 30 percent since the last assessment was conducted in 2003, according to a statement last Wednesday by the Kazakh Foreign Ministry and reported by ENS. Its depth has increased too, from an average 30 meters to 42 meters. To increase the amount of water flowing into the inland sea, Kazakhstan built a dam separating the northern portion of the sea from the larger, saltier and polluted southern portion. Because of improved conditions, fish are naturally returning and being reintroduced. Recently there was only one species of fish remaining in the depleted sea. Now there are fifteen. With more fish, fishermen are also returning, and there are plans to revive the sturgeon fishery. Even the local climate is improving, with fewer sandstorms and moderating temperatures. Officials can now begin diverting water to the Sea's still blighted southern reaches. The Aral Sea recovery project is entering its second phase focused on the revitalization of the dry former seabed with the cultivation of the native shrub saxaul. Saxaul is a shrub indigenous to the arid salt deserts of Central Asia. Reaching heights of three to 10 meters, its thick bark acts as a water storage organ and provides protection from wind erosion. The Kazakh program proves that if given a chance, nature will revive despite man's ruthless exploitation.
[photo credit: World Bank]