Aral Sea Disaster: Moynaq - Uzbekistan
Reposted: October 1, 2024 | Tagged: Central Asia
The Aral Sea was once one of the world's largest lakes after the Caspian Sea, Lake Superior, and Lake Victoria.
The surface area of the Aral Sea before 1961 was 68,000 km2, and the water salinity was 10-11 mg per litre. The marine and fishing industry used to have more than 500 ships.
That was before the Soviets created this horrendous environmental disaster.
The surface area of the Aral Sea before 1961 was 68,000 km2, and the water salinity was 10-11 mg per litre. The marine and fishing industry used to have more than 500 ships.
That was before the Soviets created this horrendous environmental disaster.
This blog post first appeared on my other, now defunct blog and then on this blog under a different format. I am just reposting it. It is based on travels back in 2015.
The Soviets were hell-bent on making Uzbekistan one of the world's largest producers of cotton.
They dug irrigation canals from the two main rivers that flowed into the lake to provide water for the cotton plantations, and in doing so, they created one of the largest environmental disasters of the 20th century.
The lake shrank rapidly, the Aral Sea Fishing Industry was killed off.
Since 1979, there has been no maritime industry. By 1984, the Aral Sea had lost its industrial importance. Fish farms, fish factories and shipyards were closed down. More than 10,000 people become unemployed.
But it did far more lasting damage than just killing off the fishing industry.
They dug irrigation canals from the two main rivers that flowed into the lake to provide water for the cotton plantations, and in doing so, they created one of the largest environmental disasters of the 20th century.
The lake shrank rapidly, the Aral Sea Fishing Industry was killed off.
Since 1979, there has been no maritime industry. By 1984, the Aral Sea had lost its industrial importance. Fish farms, fish factories and shipyards were closed down. More than 10,000 people become unemployed.
But it did far more lasting damage than just killing off the fishing industry.
As of January 2010, the Aral Sea was only 28,687 km2 and water salinity was up to 110g per litre. Salt sand storms throw out a massive 75 million tons of sand and salt, which causes health problems for those who remain here, not to mention the longer, colder winters and shorter and hotter summers. In short, an environmental disaster on a horrendous scale.
Moynaq, a town that 50 years ago was a thriving fishing port, is now more than 150km from the lakeshore, a town that still has people living here. Grandparents look after grandchildren. Parents have upped sticks and gone to work elsewhere.
Moynaq, a town that 50 years ago was a thriving fishing port, is now more than 150km from the lakeshore, a town that still has people living here. Grandparents look after grandchildren. Parents have upped sticks and gone to work elsewhere.
On the edge of town, where there was once water, there are the rusting skeletons of abandoned ships. A ship graveyard. The Moynaq Ship Cemetery.
Travel Advisory:
I travelled there with SJ, my Korean lover. We took a shared taxi from the bus stand on Kungrad Road in Nukus, to Muynak for 10,000sum.
The only hotel in town was the Oybek Hotel, but it looked like they hadn't had guests in a very long time. Broken windows, rooms filled with rubble.
Our taxi driver called the homestay using the number listed in the Lonely Planet. We were driven to a house in a street parallel to the main street. 10 USD per night with Air Con. Lunch, dinner and breakfast could be provided for an extra at 5 USD.
In Summer temperatures hit 50 degrees. After 9 am it was simply too hot to be out. In the evening, we wandered the deserted streets picking up the usual Central Asian snacks: bread, salami, cheese, tomatoes and, of course, beer and vodka.
I travelled there with SJ, my Korean lover. We took a shared taxi from the bus stand on Kungrad Road in Nukus, to Muynak for 10,000sum.
The only hotel in town was the Oybek Hotel, but it looked like they hadn't had guests in a very long time. Broken windows, rooms filled with rubble.
Our taxi driver called the homestay using the number listed in the Lonely Planet. We were driven to a house in a street parallel to the main street. 10 USD per night with Air Con. Lunch, dinner and breakfast could be provided for an extra at 5 USD.
In Summer temperatures hit 50 degrees. After 9 am it was simply too hot to be out. In the evening, we wandered the deserted streets picking up the usual Central Asian snacks: bread, salami, cheese, tomatoes and, of course, beer and vodka.
