The Transformation of the Aral Sea: Human Impact and Environmental Change
This assignment explores how human actions dramatically changed the Aral Sea, once one of the world's largest lakes, into a desert. You will use the attached infographic and your own knowledge to answer questions about the causes, effects, and possible solutions to this environmental disaster. Be sure to provide detailed explanations and use evidence from the infographic where appropriate.
Group 1
Use the infographic provided to answer the following questions about the Aral Sea. Refer to the images, graphs, and text for evidence.
Source 1.1
This is the video we watched a portion of when we started the inquiry.
Source 1.2
Data on Aral Sea Change between the 1960s to 2007
Source 1.3
Graphs on Water Levels in Aral Sea and South Aral Sea
Source 1.4
Data on Fishing Rates in the area
Source 1.5
🌊 Background: The Aral Sea Disaster
The Aral Sea was once one of the largest lakes in the world, located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. But starting in the 1960s, huge amounts of water were diverted from the rivers that fed it to support farming. Over time, the lake shrank dramatically, turning into dry land and leaving behind toxic dust and pollutants. This environmental disaster has had serious effects on the health and livelihoods of people living nearby.
📍 What the Zones Mean in the Graph
These zones are based on how close they are to the dried-up Aral Sea and how badly they were affected:
- Catastrophe Zone: This is the area closest to the former shoreline of the Aral Sea. It’s the most severely impacted—people here face high levels of pollution, poor air quality, and limited access to clean water.
- Crisis Zone: Slightly farther out, but still heavily affected. Conditions are harsh.
- Pre-Crisis Zone: This area is on the edge of the disaster zone.
- Control Region (Zanaraka District): This is a region chosen for comparison. It’s far enough from the Aral Sea to be considered unaffected by the disaster, so scientists use it as a baseline to understand how much worse things are in the other zones.
Source 1.6
🌊 Kazakhstan’s Response to the Aral Sea Crisis Instead of giving up on the dried-up Aral Sea, Kazakhstan took action. They built a dam to protect the northern part of the sea, redirected water from nearby rivers, and planted millions of trees to fight desertification. Thanks to these efforts, the North Aral Sea has started to refill, fish have returned, and local communities are slowly recovering.
Question 1a
Explain the main human action that initiated the shrinking of the Aral Sea. Be specific about what was done and why.
Question 1b
Describe two major environmental changes that resulted from the diversion of water away from the Aral Sea. Use details from the infographics in your answer.
Question 1c
How did the change in the Aral Sea's size and salinity affect the local economy and the people living nearby? Give at least one specific example.
Question 1d
Explain how the climate in the region changed as a result of cotton farming and the shrinking of the Aral Sea. What evidence does the infographics provide?
Question 1e
What solution was attempted to recover part of the Aral Sea, and what was the result?
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