NEXUS Gains
Aral Sea Basin
The shrinking of the Aral Sea due to water diversion for irrigation projects in the former Soviet Union has been classed as among the planet’s worst environmental and socio-economic disasters. It stands as a tragic example of the ill-considered trade-offs that result when systems thinking is not applied. The destruction of the lake’s ecosystem and the fishing industry that depended on it, combined with severe pollution and salinization, have destroyed livelihoods and affected the health of many people, calling into question the future of a region with a population of 60 million. To address this requires the co-development of a regional strategy underpinned by coherent national strategies. NEXUS Gains will work with governments and other stakeholders in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
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