The Sea is Coming Back

Good News—The Sea is Coming Back
Kazakhstan: Syr Darya Control and Northern Aral Sea Project

• Overview
• Results
• Counterparts
• Task Team
• Learn More

The Aral Sea, located in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, was once the world’s 4th largest lake. Between 1960 and 2004, the sea’s surface area shrank almost 70 percent and the sea level dropped about 20 meters, as water was diverted for irrigation from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. In 1990, as the waters receded, the Aral Sea split into a small Northern Aral Sea (NAS) on the territory of Kazakhstan and a Large Southern Aral Sea (LAS) on the territory of both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The desiccation of the sea resulted in serious economic, social, and environmental damage. Fresh fish production virtually disappeared. The salinity and pollution levels rose dramatically, dust and salt storms occurred often, and local climatic changes were taking place around the Sea. Drinking water supplies became polluted and human health problems increased sharply. Tens of thousands of jobs were lost in the fishing, agriculture, and service sectors.

The World Bank loan for the Syr Darya Control and Northern Aral Sea Project of US$64.5 million was approved in June 2001. Total project cost, including counterpart funds provided by the Government of Kazakhstan, is approximately US$86 million.

The Project aims to secure the existence of the Northern Aral Sea and improving ecological conditions in its area; and sustain and increase agriculture and fish production in the Syr Darya basin in Kazakhstan.

Construction of the 13-km Kok-Aral Dike, which separated the NAS from the LAS and allowed the NAS to recover, was completed in August 2005. In addition, several new hydraulic structures were constructed on the Syr Darya, while other hydraulic structures and the Chardara Dam were rehabilitated to increase the flow capacity of the Syr Darya and safely bring much more water than before to the Aral Sea.

Except for one hydraulic structure, all works have been completed. It is expected that the structure will be completed by October 2008, and that the project will close at the end of 2008. A follow-on project is currently under preparation, which will aim at further improvements along the Syr Darya and in the NAS.

"We used to have breezes and plenty of fish and a nice life. In 1984, the bay completely dried up and the surface was covered in dried salt. The winds seemed to get stronger and the salt would mix in with dust and cover the whole village... it was hard to breathe. It is amazing that the sea is coming back! My little girl will see the water here and swim in it like I did as a boy." —Sailau Utebaev, Fisherman from Dzhambul Village near Aralsk City

"Even the climate is changing for the better. It’s true. In April, May and June we now have rain! There is more grass for livestock. Summers are a little cooler. Dust storms are fewer. Come back in a few years - I hope we will be sitting on the harbourside beside the water and enjoying ourselves." —Nazhmedin Musabaev, Mayor of Aralsk City

• Increased water levels in the NAS – since construction was completed in August 2005 on the dike and most hydraulic structures, the increased river capacity has helped fill the NAS. Both in 2006 and 2007 full supply capacity was reached (42 m above Baltic Sea level). The estimated inflow into the NAS during both years was around 7 billion m3. The water surface area has reached about 3,300 km2, 50 percent more than its lowest level. The NAS dike has not only resulted in a partial restoration of the NAS, but also avoided further desiccation of the NAS into smaller water bodies.
• Reduction in salinity levels in the NAS – the inflow of freshwater has halved salinity levels to less than 10 gr/ltr by 2007 (see graph»).
• Increase in yields of freshwater fish, sturgeon and caviar—a few years ago the main fish found in the NAS was flounder, but now 7 types of the freshwater food fish have returned to the sea and fish harvests have considerably increased during the past three years. The freshwater fish catch in the NAS has increased from about 52 tons in 2004 to about 2,000 tons in 2007. Four fish processing plants were opened in Aralsk during the last few years. For the first time in many years, freshwater fish was exported this year to Georgia, Russia and Ukraine. Another new factory is building fiberglass fishing boats. Fish hatcheries are expected to release 15 million fingerlings into the NAS next year, including the reintroduction of sturgeon. All these activities are creating new jobs.
• The climate is improving, benefiting air, soil and water qualities, biodiversity and flora/fauna. Before the construction of the dike, the last rains would fall in March. Now the Mayor of Aralsk indicated that during the last two years there were rains into April, May and June—resulting in more grass for livestock, cooler summers, a reduction in dust storms, and the return of swans, ducks and geese.
• Improvement in water supply to irrigated lands at Kazalinsk, Aitek, Aklak, and Kzyl Orda, and increase in crop production from irrigated lands. Increased ability to manage the water resources in the Syr Darya has allowed the delivery of irrigation water in the right volumes at the right time to the large irrigation areas in South Kazakhstan and Kyzylorda Oblasts. Increases in production are expected after a few years when irrigation areas have been rehabilitated and modernized with the assistance of the Bank-funded proposed Second Irrigation and Drainage Improvement Project.
• Improvement in general health of population in Aralsk—water, which used to be 100 km away from the former seaport Aralsk, is now only 25 km away, and new water supply systems have been constructed that bring better-quality water to Aralsk and nearby villages. Cleaner water is improving the health of the population.
• Peoples’ hopes are back—before the dam was constructed, people were leaving the region in masses. Those who stayed would not have sufficient money to repair their houses and public infrastructure, not to mention that there was no new construction at all. After the sea came back people started returning, building or improving their houses, and new schools and hospitals are being constructed. A billboard outside Aralsk proclaims 'Good News - The Sea is Coming Back'. There is optimism among the people around the NAS.

Committee of Water Resources under the Ministry of Agriculture

• Joop Stoutjesdijk, Task Team Leader/Lead Irrigation Engineer
• Masood Ahmad, Task Team Leader/Lead Water Resources Specialist (1999—2006)
• Lynette Alemar, Senior Program Assistant
• Bakyt Arystanov, Operations Officer
• Anara Akhmetova, Team Assistant

• Syr Darya Control & Northern Aral Sea Phase I Project