The Shrinking Aral Sea - Uzbekistan

July 2001
For 50 years Soviet leaders diverted the rivers which feed the sea to irrigate cotton. And when it became clear that the land wasn't suited for the thirsty crop the planners simply increased the use of hazardous chemicals. "It is the world's largest man- made environmental disaster", says Ian Small for Medecins Sans Frontiers in Uzbekistan. The charity usually operates in war zones, but for the first time it has now set up a project devoted solely to an environmental catastrophe. The war here is against tuberculosis, kidney disease and cancers - plaguing the people of the region. Some are caused by toxins, some by the high levels of salt in the water. "Almost nothing grows and it's hard for people -- salt concentrates in their joints and they can't walk for a long time...", says Aigali Tankimalov who sailed the Aral Sea for 29 years. Now the wreck of the vessel he commanded in the navy sits opposite his front door -- and the nearest water is 100 kilometres away. The last of the 20 or so species of fish that lived in the Aral Sea died out in the 1980s, the victims of an environmental catastrophe. Yet despite the dramatic evidence of environmental destruction, Uzbekistan's new leaders continue to grow cotton and scientist fear the damage is irreparable.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Uzbekistan
• Aral
• Sea
• cotton
• industry
• Aigali
• Tankimalov
• Journeyman
• Pictures
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman
• journeyman pictures

[vagu14]

it is now clear to me. after watching more than 500 journeyman videos i can confirm that their sound guys are all deaf

[reeber2]

Am i supposed to understand what the man at 1:34 ist alking about? Could have been important...

[sega31098]

@vagu14

This was shot in 2001.

[NeptuneAralSea]

Anyone who is interested in saving the Aral Sea, please post a comment on my Channel to increase activism! Together, we can save the sea!

[sega31098]

@Mik5469

Soviets were atheists...

[WheelieMacBin]

@Fedaykin4321 - The presenter of this documentary is not a Brit, she has an obvious Australian accent, so if you are going to comment in a sneering way, at least get your facts right hey.

[lordthorpez]

Fuck advertisements!!

[syedabdulaziz]

@vagu14

Communists seem to be the biggest capitalists. They once said that ARAL sea is a natures ERROR but Cant make ERRORS.

[railstoruin]

@reeber2 I think he said something about "water"

[Fedaykin4321]

@reeber2 ....and again at about 9:00 - could this documentary have shittier production values? Not that it wasn't the Soviet's fault, but I'm tired of hearing Brits drone on about how evil the commies were. The narrator is pure shit and the audio quality makes my speakers hurt....

[Fedaykin4321]

My god how did that old crone get a job as a narrator? Props if you can listen to that bitch talk for longer than five minutes without abusing painkillers....

[Mik5469]

@georgide Sorry iam a drug addict who droped out of school in the 9th grade cuz its stupid i like to smoke weed weed is gangsta kotton mouth kings dont stand 4 a gang kotton mouth kings just let the nuts hang iam a Pimp i have had sex 4 times!!