Aral Sea - A Dead Sea?
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Category: General History
Forum Name: Natural History
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Printed Date: 27-Apr-2024 at 17:18
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Topic: Aral Sea - A Dead Sea?
Posted By: Afghanan
Subject: Aral Sea - A Dead Sea?
Date Posted: 01-Mar-2007 at 14:28
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The Aral Sea Historically Shrinking
This article was posted 2 years ago:
Aral Sea Drying Amid Central Asian Water, Energy Scarcity
 An estimated 90 percent of the water in the two rivers that feed Central Asia's Aral Sea is used up before reaching its destination, diverted by energy-poor Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for hydropower and by Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan for irrigation, a new U.N. study has found. A unique joint report by the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe and the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific examines the relationship between water scarcity in Central Asia and the paucity of energy sources there, as well as the conflicting interests of the five former Soviet states. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are poor in hydrocarbon resources, relying mostly on imports and hydropower for their electricity. Wintertime electricity generation in Kyrgyzstan in particular harms downstream countries Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and could likely harm Afghanistan as well as that country comes to require more water. In the summertime, the downstream Central Asian countries divert the waters of the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya rivers, mostly to irrigate cotton, threatening the survival of the Aral Sea and precipitating serious environmental problems for the region. The report says that with no money available to renovate leaky, wasteful dams and irrigations systems, the countries should consider a U.N.-engineered cooperation strategy, endorsed by four of the nations, designed to improve sharing of water and energy resources. The two executive secretaries of UNECE and ESCAP will visit the five countries this year to discuss implementation of the cooperation strategy (UNECE release, June 18). --
This is really a sad event. ------------- The perceptive man is he who knows about himself, for in self-knowledge and insight lays knowledge of the holiest. ~ Khushal Khan Khattak |
Replies:
Posted By: pekau
Date Posted: 01-Mar-2007 at 16:06
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It is, indeed. And it;s not just Aral Sea. Other Russian seas are shrinking due to the increasing farmlands and industries that need water. And that's not just hurting the environment, that would also hurt us in the long run.
The ones that don't dry out are all polluted by the Soviet Era. It's just sad, indeed. ------------- http://swagbucks.com/refer/Malachi"> 
Join us. |
Posted By: DocStaph
Date Posted: 06-Mar-2007 at 14:27
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Abundance of mankind's production will eventually lead to a catastrophic downfall of nature. Afghanistan is dry as a beet! X-Russian country are to follow, the only country with bountiful of water supply is the United States. ------------- Pregnancy is a Death Sentence to an Afghan Woman! |
Posted By: pekau
Date Posted: 06-Mar-2007 at 18:55
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And Canada, I assume. The Great Lakes and other tons of ice in the artic that could be used as an alternative freshwater supply... ------------- http://swagbucks.com/refer/Malachi">
Join us. |
Posted By: Afghanan
Date Posted: 07-Mar-2007 at 21:01
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Dont forget Northern Europe, their inundated with water.
I've always wondered, if they can make pipelines for oil, why cant they make pipelines for water?
------------- The perceptive man is he who knows about himself, for in self-knowledge and insight lays knowledge of the holiest. ~ Khushal Khan Khattak |
Posted By: kasper
Date Posted: 08-Mar-2007 at 01:10
They do have pipelines for water. This is the one where I get my water from...
The california aqueduct. ------------- |
Posted By: Scorpian
Date Posted: 08-Mar-2007 at 02:01
rains most of the year round in Scotland. Anyone want to trade some sunshine for rain? or water for oil?  ------------- Scorpian |
Posted By: Justinian
Date Posted: 19-Jul-2007 at 00:49
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I heard about this several years ago, how apalling. I saw a recent map with the aral sea looking like this and wandered what the hell was wrong with that map, I had completely forgotten that it was drying up. We are just going downhill. I can only hope the earth is strong enough to survive and recover once/if we disappear or more likely kill ourselves off. I hope the U.N. is able to improve or at least contain the situation. ------------- "War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace."--Thomas Mann 
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Posted By: Afghanan
Date Posted: 12-Jul-2009 at 11:55
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These European Satellite Agency satellite images show how the Aral Sea's shoreline has retreated between 2006 (inset) to 2009 (main picture). It was once the world's fourth-largest inland body of water, but many of its tributaries have been diverted for irrigation over the past 50 years.
Source: BBC
------------- The perceptive man is he who knows about himself, for in self-knowledge and insight lays knowledge of the holiest. ~ Khushal Khan Khattak |
