Aral Sea Basin

1. LARGE-SCALE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW LANDS2. CONFLICT OF HUMAN AND NATURE3. ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS INCREASED LEVEL OF WATER MINERALIZATION SOIL SALINITY DECREASED PRODUCTIVITY OF LANDS DESERTIFICATION

CHANGES OF FLORA AND FAUNA (decline of biodiversity) etc.4. SOCIAL PROBLEMS DECREASE OF THE POPULATION LIVING STANDARDWORSENING OF THE HEALTH CONDITIONSWORSENING OF THE DRINKING WATER QUALITY , etc.

The full-scale development of new lands in the region for cultivation ofcotton and rice was initiated after March (1965) and May (1966)Plenums of the Committee of Soviet Communistic Party and the SovietRepublics Council of Ministers, where the decisions on the developmentof agriculture and irrigated agriculture were made.

The Aral Sea has started to dry due to excessive abstraction of water forirrigation for newly developed lands in its basin.

From 1966 to 1990 the irrigated area increased from 4.3 mln. ha to 8.04mln. ha., as the result water withdrawals for irrigation was doubled.

So, by 1990 the water level in the Aral Sea decreased to more than 20meters and water area declined by more than threefold.

Large-scale development of new lands

StateRunoff km3 / year

Irrigated lands, th. ha

Population, mln.Syrdarya Amudarya Total

Kazakhstan 4,5 - 4,5 560,5 3,1*

Kyrgyzstan 27,4 1,9 29,3 422,0 2,52*

Tajikistan 1,1 62,9 64,0 719,0 7,6

Turkmenistan - 2,78 2,78 1735,0 6,7

Uzbekistan 4,14 4,7 8,84 4233,0 29,0

Всего 37,14 72,28 109,42 7669,5 48,92

Water and land resources of the regionas of 2012

* The share of population in the Aral Sea basin.

SOURCE: NASA; Uzglavhydromet; mass-media materials

–90%

Dynamics of the Aral sea degradation

Water volume, km3

0200

400

600

800

1 000

1 200

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

2000

1973

1989

20002011

Aral sea: affluent and degraded

1960 2015

Consequences of the ecological crisis: Significant growth of infectious diseases, cancer and other

diseases, in those areas where Syrdarya water is used for thedrinking water purposes.

First of all the crisis affects the most vulnerable groups -women and children. The infant mortality rate was 26.3 per1 thousand people.

Source: compulenta.computerra.ru Source: dw.de

1. In 1992 the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayevaddressed the Heads of Central Asian states to join their efforts to mitigate thenegative impact of the Aral Sea drying on the environment and people of theregion.

2. In February 1992 water authorities of Central Asian states signed the "Agreementbetween the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan andUzbekistan on cooperation in the joint management of use and protection oftransboundary water resources“.

3. Signing of the heads of Central Asian states on March, 26 1993 "Agreement on jointaction on addressing the crisis in the Aral Sea" and the establishment of theInternational Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) with the branches in the states ofCentral Asia.

THE FIRST ARAL SEA BASIN PROGRAM – ASBP-1In January 1994, in Nukus there was adopted the first program of concreteactions to improve the environmental situation in the Aral Sea basin, which laterbecame known as the ASBP-1. UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, GEF, EBRD, ADB, TACIS,the German bank KfW, Kuwait Fund ERA, USAID and others were activelyparticipating in its preparatory process.

The following aims were defined as the main:Stabilization of the environment in the Aral Sea basin;Restoration of disturbed ecology in the Aral Sea region;Improved methods of managing land and water resources of the basin;Creating administrative structures at all levels for planning and implementation of the Program.

THE SECOND ARAL SEA BASIN PROGRAM – ASBP-2

On October 6, 2002 in Dushanbe it was approved the Program of concrete actions to improve the environmental and socio-economic situation in the Aral Sea basin for the period of 2003-2010 (ASBP-2), which was approved by the IFAS Board on August 28, 2003.

It included 14 priority directions, joined into 4 groups:

Water economical;

Social-economic;

Environmental;

Environmental monitoring.

THE THIRD ARAL SEA BASIN PROGRAM – ASPB-3

In April 2009, in Almaty, it was decided to develop the next action program to assist countries in the Aral Sea basin for the period 2011-2015 (ASBP-3). This program was approved on May 15, 2012 by the decision of the Board of the Fund.

The program insludes four directions: Integrated use of water resources;

Environmental protection; Socio-economic development;

Improving institutional and legal instruments.

Kokaral dam

“Aklak” hydro facility”

Kazalynsk hydro facility

“Aitek” hydro facility “Karaozek” construction

Kyzylorda hydro facility

Shardara reservoir

Arnasay dam

First phase of the project «Regulation of Syrdarya river flow and preservation of the Northern Aral sea»

Data from the “Kazgiprovodkhoz” institute

N

S

Aral

KazaliSyrdarya

AralSea

in 1961 – 53,31 min 1980 – 45,76 min 1985 – 41,95 m

Northern Aral sea in 2007 – 41,78 m

Aral sea

Small Aral sea

in 1992 (North AS) – 39.0 м

Data from the “Kazgiprovodkhoz” institute

Kokaral dam

Building dike of Kokaral dam

View from channel downstream of the wasteway facility

Working wasteway facility

Dynamics of changes of the main parameters of the northern part of the Aral Sea (Small Aral)

Main parameters Units of measure

Before the project implementation

After implementing first phase of the project

Watermark level m, by Baltic system

38,8 42,0

Water surface area km2 2414 3288

Water volume km3 15,6 27,1

Water mineralization

g/l 23 17-10

Industrial fishing th. tones 0,4 5

The complex of “Aitek” hydro facility

Reconstruction of Kyzylorda and Kazalinsk hydroworks facility

View from the channel upstream

View from the channel downstream

Reconstruction of Shardara reservoir facilities

View from the channel downstream of Shardara HPP

Dike of Arnasay dam

Tower water outlet into the Kyzylkum trunk

In the zone of ecological disaster in Kazakhstan:

around 1148 km of water pipelines and 1428 kmintra-water networks were put into operation.

96 settlements were provided with centralizedwater supply.

projects on creating local water systems in thedelta of the Syr Darya, the social support of thepopulation, creating jobs, improving the qualityof medical service were implemented.

Position of Kazakhstan in the field of water resources management on

transboundary rivers

Kazakhstan adheres to the state policy in the field of joint wateruse and protection of transboundary rivers, based on internationalwater law.

The development of bilateral relations with the international legalnorms relating not only to the quantitative distribution of water,but also covering issues of quality.

Seeking for the optimal balance between irrigation andhydropower.

Ensuring equal conditions of water management on transboundaryrivers for Central Asian states.

Strengthening regional cooperation on the basis of internationalconventions.

Telik

ol

Aral sea

North Aral sea

Айдаркөл

Shardara

Arnasay

Koksaray

Aralsk

Kazaly

Zhosaly

Kyzylorda

Shiyely

Turkistan

Aris

Shardara

Karaozek

The second phase of the project «Regulation of Syrdarya river flow and preservation of the Northern Aral sea»

Restoration of the left-bank gateway controller of Kyzylorda waterworks

Rectification of Syrdarya riverbed in areas of Korgansha and Turymbet

Construction of protection dikes in Kazalinsk and Karmakshi districts

Construction of a road bridge in Kazaly district

Reconstruction of the North part of the Aral Sea (two options are considered)

Data from the “Kazgiprovodkhoz” institute

Restoring the Kamishlibash and Akshatau lake systems

Reconstruction and expansion of the ponds in the area of Tastak in Kamyslybas fish hatchery in Aral district of Kyzylorda

region

Option of two-level sea

Data from the “Kazgiprovodkhoz” institute

Data from the “Kazgiprovodkhoz” institute

Option of one-level sea

Ecological monitoring of the wetlands in the delta of Syrdarya and their inclusion into the Ramsar list

Sustainable flooding of delta (2011-2012);

Syrdarya delta wetlands with the area of 330 thousand hectares were included into the list, protected by the Ramsar Convention (end of 2012);

The natural-scientific justification (2011) of the reserve territory expending was prepared

Executive Board of the International Fund for saving the Aral sea in Kazakhstan

Ramsar sites in the delta of Syr Darya river

Thank you for attention

ARAL SEA