Mitigating the Aral Sea Crisis to Secure Regional Stability
Author: Mahabbat Ahmadli
Editors: Sakura Morales Furuta & Lorenzo Pagani
The decline of the Aral Sea, located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, began after the Soviet Union diverted its water for cotton irrigation. Since then, the resulting environmental degradation has contributed to socioeconomic instability, increased disease prevalence, and growing water-sharing disputes among Central Asian states.
This policy brief examines the crises resulting from the decline of the Aral Sea, assesses restoration efforts by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and provides recommendations to mitigate them.
