Re-greening Uzbekistan's desertified Aral Sea region
In this episode of Focus, we look at a project to reverse the desertification of the region where the fourth largest lake in the world used to lie.
Transcript
00:00 In the 1960s, this semi-desert area was underwater and formed part of the Aral Sea.
00:07 At the time, it was the fourth largest lake in the world, but now it's just a tenth of its former size.
00:13 In the Soviet era, one of the worst environmental tragedies was perpetrated
00:17 when the rivers that fed into it were diverted to irrigate fields.
00:21 We're driving away from the town of Munach, which once stood on the lake,
00:25 and into Aral-Kham desert that's replaced it.
00:28 And we're going to visit a government program to grow plants that can reverse the desertification.
00:33 Over a million hectares have already been covered with these plants.
00:37 One of them is called black saxle and is renowned for its hardiness
00:41 and its ability to withstand drought for long periods.
00:44 They stop the salt and the sand from being whipped up into the air and carried by the wind to populated areas.
00:50 Plants hold the soil with their roots, keeping salt and sand on the ground.
00:57 These plants emit oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.
01:02 This is also a positive effect.
01:06 Each year, sandstorms kick up more than a hundred million tons of dust and pollutants,
01:14 such as fertilizers and pesticides, from where the bottom of the Aral Sea used to be.
01:20 Now black saxle acts as a shield.
01:24 Saxle serves as a mechanical obstacle.
01:31 One such saxle plant can retain one ton of toxic sand and salt.
01:36 If it weren't for all this, this would have risen into the air and been carried over long distances.
01:44 When the Aral Sea disappeared, not only did local people lose a fishing industry
01:49 that had supplied the Soviet Union with a sixth of its fish supply,
01:52 they also suffered health problems from the toxic dust in the air.
01:56 The sea had irrigated a desert where cotton and other crops could be grown,
02:00 but as it did, it steadily shrunk.
02:04 In just half a century, only 10% of the sea is left, and the water continues to drain.
02:13 What remains has been compared to Israel's Dead Sea,
02:17 one of the saltiest bodies of inland water in the world.
02:22 Here it is, the edge of the constantly disappearing western Aral Sea.
02:31 The salt concentration is so high here that there is no more fish left.
02:38 The edge of the water is now 150 kilometers away from Munak, which was once a thriving port city.
02:45 One project that aims to rehabilitate the region is called My Garden in the Aral Sea.
02:51 This green patch of woodland is located just a few minutes' drive from Munak.
02:56 The goal is to plant one million trees.
02:59 Ash, elm, willow and catalpa trees have all been chosen for their drought resistance and hardiness.
03:05 Slowly, the desertification is being reversed.
03:09 Our task is to restore the ecosystem of this region so that such oases are created in other settlements.
03:21 The goal is to help counteract the spread of salty sand and prevent soil erosion.
03:27 Three weather stations will also be built in Munak district,
03:33 which will help monitor the re-greening process.
03:36 It`s been partly paid for by USAID, United States Government Aid Agency.
03:40 The data from these weather stations will be used by farmers to know when to better plant their crops,
03:47 as well as the scientific community and the governments on how to address environmental challenges in the Aral Sea region.
03:55 In 2018, the UN Aral Sea Trust Fund was created.
03:59 And to date, it`s raised $60 million with Uzbekistan and the EU being the largest donors.
04:05 The goal is to have a common strategy for the Aral Sea region.
04:09 The fund has implemented a lot of projects.
04:12 The main area is health care and a lot of work has been done to provide the population with drinking water,
04:18 agriculture, the efficient use of water resources and gardens.
04:22 The fund supports local vulnerable citizens by helping them grow animal feed using a hydroponic system that doesn`t need soil.
04:30 It`s allowed Aijan Borabayeva to successfully grow plants for her sheep at home in summer and winter.
04:36 The soil outside is salty and difficult to grow on.
04:41 In the hydroponic system, wheat grows well and can save space.
04:50 These solutions are not just appropriate to the Aral Sea region,
04:53 they can also be adopted in other parts of the world that are suffering from desertification.
04:58 (upbeat music)