Human factors and the water cycle – The Aral Sea
• Central Asia, used to be the fourth largest lake globally, now just 10% remains
• Sea receded, rain stopped due to draining of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers for
Soviet cotton industry irrigation.
• Division into two separate salty lakes but in 2014 eastern sea disappeared to leave
the Small Aral and the western basin.
• 2005 Kokaral dam restoring Small Aral; surface water risen 3m. Experts estimate
water return to the Aral in 17 years after dam enlargement