[14], Most of the area around the Aral Sea was inhabited by desert nomads who left few written records. [59] They were also among the first to be detrimentally affected, representing at least 4.4 million people in the region. Nice view with a small crustacean on the shores of Caspian Sea , Aktau, Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, beach vacation. We are Cynthia (Belgium) and Niko (Canada) and we've been traveling full-time for more than 8 years! The scheme was drawn up by the World Bank, government representatives, and various technical experts, without consulting those who would be affected. Niko started having some issues with his sinuses, as did our two travel companions due to the large amounts of dust in the air. The Pink Sunset. We were disappointed when we noticed that there wasn’t much left of it. [14][15], Following the salinity increase and drying of the lake, the Aral trout, ruffe, Turkestan barbel and all sturgeon species were entirely extirpated and have not since returned due to dams blocking their migration routes, with the Aral trout and Syr Darya sturgeon (Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi) possibly being driven to extinction due to their restricted range. The above-mentioned journey has set a new milestone for the Middle Corridor. We also saw some (dismantled) wrecks in the port of Aral. [68] The Programme's four objectives are: The first phase of the plan effectively began with the first involvement from the World Bank in 1992, and was in operation until 1997. The inflow of groundwater into the South Aral Sea will probably not in itself be able to stop the desiccation, especially without a change in irrigation practices. World sea ports database, sea transportation, marine and ports market place, sea distances and routes. Writer, travel photographer, Panasonic Lumix Ambassador and co-founder of Journal of Nomads. [13], Despite its formerly vast size, the Aral Sea had relatively low indigenous biodiversity. Mangistau region, Autumn coast of the Caspian Sea. [29] Many of the canals were poorly built, allowing water to leak or evaporate. For six years since its opening at the end of October 2013, the railway tunnel was only available for passenger trains running between different sides of Istanbul. It is definitely clear to see why the disappearance of the Aral Sea is called one of the world’s worst man-made environmental disasters! Six years after the official launch, the Marmaray Tunnel that connects the European and Asian part of Turkey has been opened for rail freight operations. The Aktau port is located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea at the intersection of several international transport corridors. On 6 October 2002, the Heads of States met again to revise the ASBP program. Middleton, Nick; "The Aral Sea" in Shahgedanova Maria; Velichko, Andrey and Spasskaya, Irina; "Climatic Change and the Development of Landscapes" in Shahgedanova Maria; Mętrak M. Health and social consequences of the Aral Lake disaster. The route via Turkey and the Marmaray Tunnel is not the only route within the Middle Corridor. [8] Salinity has dropped, and fish are again present in sufficient numbers for some fishing to be viable. Accessible in: Great Plan for the Transformation of Nature, "DRAINAGE BASIN OF THE ARAL SEA AND OTHER TRANSBOUNDARY SURFACE WATERS IN CENTRAL ASIA", "The Kazakh Miracle: Recovery of the North Aral Sea", South Aral Sea shrinking but North Aral Sea expanding, "Aral Sea | Definition of Aral Sea in English by Lexico Dictionaries", "Satellite image, August 16, 2009 (click on "2009" and later links)", "Satellite images show Aral Sea basin 'completely dried, "Aral Sea 'one of the planet's worst environmental disasters, "The zoocenosis of the Aral Sea: six decades of fast-paced change", "Molecular phylogeny of one extinct and two critically endangered Central Asian sturgeon species (genus Pseudoscaphirhynchus ) based on their mitochondrial genomes", "The Red List of Kazakhstan ::: Aral trout (Salmo trutta aralensis)", "Soviet cotton threatens a region's sea - and its children", "Cotton production linked to images of the dried up Aral Sea basin", "The True Costs of Cotton: Cotton Production and Water Insecurity", "ca-water.net, a knowledge base for projects in the Central Asia", "Grand Soviet Scheme for Sharing Water in Central Asia Is Foundering", "Scientific Foundations for an IUCN Red List of Ecosystems", "The Aral Sea environmental health crisis", https://wydawnictwo.up.lublin.pl/e-ksiazka, "Once Written Off for Dead, the Aral Sea Is Now Full of Life", "Kazakhstan: Measuring the Northern Aral's Comeback", "Uzbekistan: Moynaq village faces the Aral Sea disaster", "Health and Ecological Consequences of the Aral Sea Crisis", "What have we learned?