s a violinist, I have witnessed how music can bridge divides and inspire collective action. It is imperative for the global community to harness this same spirit of unity and creativity to address a dire and unprecedented environmental catastrophe that extends far beyond the regional scale: the restoration of the Aral Sea.
The drying out of the Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth largest lake, is one of the most severe ecological disasters caused by human activity. Before it dried out in the 1960s due to unsustainable water diversion for Soviet agricultural purposes, the Aral Sea region was a vibrant hub of life. The water stretched to the horizon, supporting a thriving fishing community. Fishermen brought back hauls of fish that fed families and sustained local markets. Villages near the Aral Sea were lively, with children playing along its shorelines. The economy thrived, with markets brimming with produce, crafts, and textiles. The community was deeply connected to the sea, relying on the Aral’s bounty.
Today, the picture is very different. The Aral Sea has drastically diminished, leaving behind a new desert, Aralkum, covering over 54,000 square kilometers, and salinized soil. Once–thriving fishing villages are deserted due to the outflow of the workforce, and the local economy has collapsed. Dust storms carry toxic particles from the exposed seabed, posing health risks to nearby communities. Forty million people live within the Aral Sea Basin. A study found that people living in the areas closest to the Aral Sea have higher rates of cardiovascular diseases as well as psychological disabilities. According to the UN, 3.5 million people living in the region have experienced a significant decline in their health, jobs, and living conditions.
The impact extends well beyond Central Asia. The desiccation of the sea has altered regional and global climates, contributing to more extreme weather patterns and spreading toxic dust storms laden with pollutants across continents, affecting air quality and agricultural productivity as far as Europe and Asia. The greatest danger now comes from toxic salts and minerals, which are carried by winds and have been found as far as 1,000 kilometers away. Aral Sea salts have been discovered in the Himalayan peaks, the Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans, and even in the blood of penguins in Antarctica. This environmental disaster is a poignant illustration of how interconnected our world truly is; the problems of one region inevitably ripple outwards, impacting us all. More broadly, water issues are one of the main items on the international agenda, as experts believe that the reason for future conflicts and migration could be water–related issues.
It doesn’t have to be this way. As a concerned citizen, a Goodwill Ambassador of Kazakhstan, and a member of the global community, I feel a strong responsibility to advocate for sustainable solutions to address this pressing issue. Drawing from my experiences in the world of music, I see a powerful metaphor for this situation. An orchestra comprises diverse instruments, each contributing its unique voice to a collective masterpiece. Similarly, the restoration of the Aral Sea requires the concerted efforts of nations, organizations, scientists, and citizens from around the globe. Just as a single violin cannot carry an entire symphony, no single entity can resolve this crisis alone. It demands collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to the greater good. While fully restoring the Aral Sea to its former size is practically impossible, the international community can work together to improve local conditions, address salinization and dust storms, and revive some ecosystems.
Collaborating with neighboring Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan has been leading efforts to revive the Aral Sea region. The country is chairing the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea for the next three years, aiming to facilitate regional cooperation for sustainable water resource management, environmental protection, and socio–economic development.
This is being conducted through programs like the Aral Sea Basin Program–4, which encompasses 12 projects addressing climate adaptation, water resource management, and ecosystem restoration. Additionally, the Regional Environmental Protection Program for Central Asia focuses on climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and improved water quality. Both programs aim to promote best practices in agriculture and regional cooperation, advocating for collaboration among Central Asian countries to address the environmental crisis in the Aral Sea region, targeting completion by 2030.
Restoration efforts have partially revived the Northern Aral Sea, but challenges like reduced fish populations and rising health issues persist. To combat these, vegetation is being planted on the former seabed to reduce dust and salt emissions. This approach has proven effective in combating the increased sand and salt resulting from the sea’s drainage. Since 2018, over 1.73 million hectares of saxaul plantations have been established in the Aralkum Desert. This year, Kazakhstan plans to plant an additional 275,000 hectares to prevent dust storms, aiming to cover 1.1 million hectares by 2025.
Thanks to these measures, the Northern Aral Sea has increased its water volume to 21.4 billion cubic meters, with 1.1 billion cubic meters added recently. Currently, the sea receives 50 cubic meters per second, which is almost tenfold higher than the previous year’s six cubic meters.
However, to fully restore the Aral Sea region, collaboration with international partners and a united approach among Central Asian countries are required. Our region often has competing interests over water resources, prioritizing agricultural and economic needs over environmental restoration. This lack of coordination slows progress.
The international community can sponsor and collaborate with Kazakhstan on several projects to restore the Aral Sea region. Implementing sustainable agriculture initiatives, such as water–efficient irrigation systems and crop rotation techniques, will conserve water and improve soil health. Projects to manage soil salinity, including building drainage systems and researching salt–tolerant crops, are essential for enhancing agricultural productivity. Building desalination plants and water purification systems will provide fresh water for communities and agriculture. Regional water management programs with neighboring countries can ensure fair water distribution. Community–based eco–tourism projects can create alternative livelihoods by promoting the region’s cultural and natural heritage. Renewable energy projects, like solar and wind farms, will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and support sustainable energy use. Public health and nutrition programs are also crucial to addressing the impacts of water scarcity and pollution, improving overall community well–being.
To increase awareness of these issues, in my role as a Goodwill Ambassador, an initiative launched by the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan, I introduced a musical project called “Mission Aral.” Imagine concerts dedicated to the Aral Sea, with musicians from around the world performing in harmony for the sake of the revival of the pearl of Central Asia. Such events could galvanize public support and generate much–needed funding for restoration projects.
This orchestral work, which will feature a choir, brass instruments, woodwinds, folk instruments, a solo violin, and a soprano singer, comprises four parts that depict the history of the Aral Sea. The first part celebrates the sea’s former beauty. The second part highlights the industrial era and the impact of canal construction in Uzbekistan, which contributed to the sea's decline. The third part portrays the devastation of the Aral Sea, resembling a barren landscape. The final part conveys hope, as I believe that with the support of the global community, we can restore this beautiful sea.
Through music, I hope to draw greater attention from people around the world to this ecological catastrophe. It is then up to the international community to unite and right the wrongs of the past.
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How the global community can restore the Aral Sea
As the Aral Sea has dried it, it’s left behind a new desert of salinized soil, affecting around 40 million people. Image by WaSZI from Pixabay
September 9, 2024
The Aral Sea is drying out, one of the most severe ecological disasters caused by humans. The region has been devastated, but the Aral can still be restored with the help of the global community, according to Goodwill Ambassador of Kazakhstan Marat Bisengaliev.
A
s a violinist, I have witnessed how music can bridge divides and inspire collective action. It is imperative for the global community to harness this same spirit of unity and creativity to address a dire and unprecedented environmental catastrophe that extends far beyond the regional scale: the restoration of the Aral Sea.
The drying out of the Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth largest lake, is one of the most severe ecological disasters caused by human activity. Before it dried out in the 1960s due to unsustainable water diversion for Soviet agricultural purposes, the Aral Sea region was a vibrant hub of life. The water stretched to the horizon, supporting a thriving fishing community. Fishermen brought back hauls of fish that fed families and sustained local markets. Villages near the Aral Sea were lively, with children playing along its shorelines. The economy thrived, with markets brimming with produce, crafts, and textiles. The community was deeply connected to the sea, relying on the Aral’s bounty.
Today, the picture is very different. The Aral Sea has drastically diminished, leaving behind a new desert, Aralkum, covering over 54,000 square kilometers, and salinized soil. Once–thriving fishing villages are deserted due to the outflow of the workforce, and the local economy has collapsed. Dust storms carry toxic particles from the exposed seabed, posing health risks to nearby communities. Forty million people live within the Aral Sea Basin. A study found that people living in the areas closest to the Aral Sea have higher rates of cardiovascular diseases as well as psychological disabilities. According to the UN, 3.5 million people living in the region have experienced a significant decline in their health, jobs, and living conditions.
The impact extends well beyond Central Asia. The desiccation of the sea has altered regional and global climates, contributing to more extreme weather patterns and spreading toxic dust storms laden with pollutants across continents, affecting air quality and agricultural productivity as far as Europe and Asia. The greatest danger now comes from toxic salts and minerals, which are carried by winds and have been found as far as 1,000 kilometers away. Aral Sea salts have been discovered in the Himalayan peaks, the Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans, and even in the blood of penguins in Antarctica. This environmental disaster is a poignant illustration of how interconnected our world truly is; the problems of one region inevitably ripple outwards, impacting us all. More broadly, water issues are one of the main items on the international agenda, as experts believe that the reason for future conflicts and migration could be water–related issues.
It doesn’t have to be this way. As a concerned citizen, a Goodwill Ambassador of Kazakhstan, and a member of the global community, I feel a strong responsibility to advocate for sustainable solutions to address this pressing issue. Drawing from my experiences in the world of music, I see a powerful metaphor for this situation. An orchestra comprises diverse instruments, each contributing its unique voice to a collective masterpiece. Similarly, the restoration of the Aral Sea requires the concerted efforts of nations, organizations, scientists, and citizens from around the globe. Just as a single violin cannot carry an entire symphony, no single entity can resolve this crisis alone. It demands collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to the greater good. While fully restoring the Aral Sea to its former size is practically impossible, the international community can work together to improve local conditions, address salinization and dust storms, and revive some ecosystems.
Collaborating with neighboring Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan has been leading efforts to revive the Aral Sea region. The country is chairing the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea for the next three years, aiming to facilitate regional cooperation for sustainable water resource management, environmental protection, and socio–economic development.
This is being conducted through programs like the Aral Sea Basin Program–4, which encompasses 12 projects addressing climate adaptation, water resource management, and ecosystem restoration. Additionally, the Regional Environmental Protection Program for Central Asia focuses on climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and improved water quality. Both programs aim to promote best practices in agriculture and regional cooperation, advocating for collaboration among Central Asian countries to address the environmental crisis in the Aral Sea region, targeting completion by 2030.
Restoration efforts have partially revived the Northern Aral Sea, but challenges like reduced fish populations and rising health issues persist. To combat these, vegetation is being planted on the former seabed to reduce dust and salt emissions. This approach has proven effective in combating the increased sand and salt resulting from the sea’s drainage. Since 2018, over 1.73 million hectares of saxaul plantations have been established in the Aralkum Desert. This year, Kazakhstan plans to plant an additional 275,000 hectares to prevent dust storms, aiming to cover 1.1 million hectares by 2025.
Thanks to these measures, the Northern Aral Sea has increased its water volume to 21.4 billion cubic meters, with 1.1 billion cubic meters added recently. Currently, the sea receives 50 cubic meters per second, which is almost tenfold higher than the previous year’s six cubic meters.
However, to fully restore the Aral Sea region, collaboration with international partners and a united approach among Central Asian countries are required. Our region often has competing interests over water resources, prioritizing agricultural and economic needs over environmental restoration. This lack of coordination slows progress.
The international community can sponsor and collaborate with Kazakhstan on several projects to restore the Aral Sea region. Implementing sustainable agriculture initiatives, such as water–efficient irrigation systems and crop rotation techniques, will conserve water and improve soil health. Projects to manage soil salinity, including building drainage systems and researching salt–tolerant crops, are essential for enhancing agricultural productivity. Building desalination plants and water purification systems will provide fresh water for communities and agriculture. Regional water management programs with neighboring countries can ensure fair water distribution. Community–based eco–tourism projects can create alternative livelihoods by promoting the region’s cultural and natural heritage. Renewable energy projects, like solar and wind farms, will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and support sustainable energy use. Public health and nutrition programs are also crucial to addressing the impacts of water scarcity and pollution, improving overall community well–being.
To increase awareness of these issues, in my role as a Goodwill Ambassador, an initiative launched by the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan, I introduced a musical project called “Mission Aral.” Imagine concerts dedicated to the Aral Sea, with musicians from around the world performing in harmony for the sake of the revival of the pearl of Central Asia. Such events could galvanize public support and generate much–needed funding for restoration projects.
This orchestral work, which will feature a choir, brass instruments, woodwinds, folk instruments, a solo violin, and a soprano singer, comprises four parts that depict the history of the Aral Sea. The first part celebrates the sea’s former beauty. The second part highlights the industrial era and the impact of canal construction in Uzbekistan, which contributed to the sea's decline. The third part portrays the devastation of the Aral Sea, resembling a barren landscape. The final part conveys hope, as I believe that with the support of the global community, we can restore this beautiful sea.
Through music, I hope to draw greater attention from people around the world to this ecological catastrophe. It is then up to the international community to unite and right the wrongs of the past.
