Alisher Kurmanov and the oaktree discuss the aral lake disaster

A very productive meeting with Ambassador Alisher Kurmanov, a very experienced diplomat.

An environmental catastrophe: Reflections from the dried-up Aral Sea. There are no words that can describe the disaster that has taken place without any real activities to stop the process from taking place. Naturally, one can’t stop thinking, “How could this happen?”

In the 1960s, the Soviet Union began diverging the Aral Sea’s main inflowing rivers – the Amu Darya originating from the Pamir Mountains and the Syr Darya from the Tien Shan mountain ranges – for irrigation purposes, primarily for cotton farming. This led to catastrophic consequences, including biodiversity loss, the displacement of communities reliant on fishing, and the emergence of health hazards due to exposure to toxic sediments.

Once teeming with diverse aquatic life, including fish species like the Aral trout and endemic sturgeon, the shrinking water levels have devastated these populations, disrupting the entire aquatic food chain. Many species have either become extinct or are on the brink of extinction.

Paradoxically, the receding waters of the Aral Sea have also created new habitats. Exposed mudflats and salt pans provide breeding grounds for certain bird species and saiga antelopes, while the shallow, brackish waters that remain support adapted fish populations. These new habitats, however, often lack the complexity and biodiversity of the original wetlands, presenting challenges for the long-term conservation of wildlife in the region.

Climate Change Impact

First, prolonged heatwaves accelerate evaporation rates, hastening the depletion of already dwindling water resources. This not only fuels the shrinkage of the sea itself but also reduces the availability of freshwater for irrigation, agriculture, and domestic use.

Initiatives for Restoration and Sustainability

Although the Aral Sea’s disappearance was considered a lost case by many, efforts to address “one of the planet’s worst environmental disasters,” as it was described by the former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, have seen some success today, with projects aimed at restoring water flow and replenishing the sea’s shrinking basin.

However, the challenges remain immense, requiring coordinated action at both local and international levels. Integrated solutions, investment projects, and scientific collaboration are key drivers of sustainable development and regional integration, supported by the harmonization of legal frameworks and the establishment of basin authorities with sufficient powers to ensure continuity in water resource management.

To our discussion

We discussed how The Oaktree can support the restoration of the soil by using biochar and clean compost generated from agriculture waste from hydroponic farming, where the water has been filtered in our GAC systems before being used. To bring the needed nutrients into the cycle, we discussed aquaculture. This way, we can generate a system where we generate food and energy while we are restoring the soil. Slowly plant grass and plants where insects can hide, eat, and breed, as the soil health improves, slowly add poultry, and continue to add nutrients to bring the soil back to life. It’s a long and tedious process but, it’s the only way to reverse the natural process.

The water management has to improve, monocropping has to decrease. The cotton has ruined the once beautiful lake, please let us transform this environment back to what it once was.

The Oaktree will produce a short presentation on what we see we can do, and how it can help the region. This is for sure the most challenging task we ever have faced.