Our Privacy Statement & Cookie Policy

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.

I agree

Healing the Aral Sea: China-Uzbekistan cooperation in action

The Aral Sea in 1989. /VCG
The Aral Sea in 1989. /VCG

The Aral Sea in 1989. /VCG

Satellite image of the Aral Sea in 1989. /VCG
Satellite image of the Aral Sea in 1989. /VCG

Satellite image of the Aral Sea in 1989. /VCG

Satellite image of the Aral Sea in 2003. /VCG
Satellite image of the Aral Sea in 2003. /VCG

Satellite image of the Aral Sea in 2003. /VCG

Satellite image of the Aral Sea in 2009. /VCG
Satellite image of the Aral Sea in 2009. /VCG

Satellite image of the Aral Sea in 2009. /VCG

The Aral Sea at sunset. /VCG
The Aral Sea at sunset. /VCG

The Aral Sea at sunset. /VCG

Experts inspect dried area of the Aral Sea basin in Uzbekistan, June 7, 2018. /VCG
Experts inspect dried area of the Aral Sea basin in Uzbekistan, June 7, 2018. /VCG

Experts inspect dried area of the Aral Sea basin in Uzbekistan, June 7, 2018. /VCG

The Aral Sea, located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, was once the world's fourth-largest lake. It has shrunk to just 10 percent of its original size due to over-irrigation, climate change and poor water management by the end of the 1990s. This has led to health problems and land degradation in the region.

Drawing on experience from managing the Tarim River, China is supporting Uzbekistan in addressing the Aral Sea crisis with solutions like a water-saving irrigation system. Chinese scientists are also helping manage saline-alkali land using salt-tolerant plants and planting forests to fight desertification – all to help protect the Aral Sea and support local recovery.

Search Trends