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Public health protection in the regions of Aral Sea
Jangabayev Daniyar Jaras uli
Nukus Innovation Institute student of the faculty of Philology
Academic superviser:
Jamalova Ummihabiba Nurullaevna
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12820393
In accordance with the agenda, the outcomes of Tajikistan’s chairmanship of IFAS in 2020-2023
were summed up, views were exchanged on current issues of improving the environmental,
water management and socio-economic situation in the Aral Sea basin, and prospects for further
expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation within the Fund were discussed.
The President of Uzbekistan noted the successful holding of the International Water Conference,
co-chaired by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan at the headquarters of the United
Nations. As a result of this historic event, it was possible to attract the attention of the entire
international community to vital issues and problems in the field of water.
Uzbek President emphasized that in order to promote a coordinated policy on integrated
management of water and energy resources in the region, it is advisable, with the participation
of international consultants, to devise long-term development Plans for basins of the Amu Darya
and Syr Darya rivers.
“Particular attention should be paid to organizing work with young people at the regional level
in matters of creating a culture of respect for water and other natural resources, supporting
youth initiatives and start-ups through the adoption of a special program. We count on the close
involvement of the Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy in the consideration of these
issues,” noted the Head of our State.
“In the last few years, forest plantings have been carried out on an area of 1.7 million hectares
on the dry bottom of the Aral Sea. In the next two years, it is planned to create protective green
screens on another 400 thousand hectares. To mitigate the consequences of the Aral disaster, as
well as to conserve biodiversity in the Aral Sea region, natural parks, reserves and state reserves
were created on an area of more than 3.5 million hectares”, said Shavkat Mirziyoyev. [1]
The Aral Sea region is undeniably one of the most distinct and poignant places on the planet.
Once boasting the title of the world's fourth-largest lake until mid-20th century, its
transformation tells a somber tale. The decline began in the 1960s, due to overuse and
A
RTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Qabul qilindi:12-iyul 2024 yil
Ma’qullandi: 15-iyul 2024 yil
Nashr qilindi: 25-iyul 2024 yil
In this article it is highly mention public
health problem due to the Aral Sea and
initial solutions and stratrgies are run
according to the problem.
KEY WORDS
sea, region, mortality, areas, sand, health,
problems, places, lake, round, commission,
wildlife, saxaul
YANGI O'ZBEKISTON ILMIY
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mismanagement of its water sources, and it's a trend that sadly continues. Comparing satellite
imagery from the 1980s to present day reveals a startling transformation. The lake, which
spanned 66,100 square kilometers till the 1960s, saw its area nearly cut in half by the close of
the 1980s, primarily due to agricultural demands for water. The rate of depletion escalated, and
by 1995, a mere quarter of its original water volume remained. Increased salinity led to the
death of its fish and affected the coastal wildlife. A few fish species persist today but contain
harmful substances.[2] On January 19, 2024, a round table was held in Tashkent to discuss the
findings of four expeditions conducted by the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate
Coordination Water Commission of Central Asia (SIC ICWC) on the dried bed of the Aral Sea.
These expeditions, supported by the UN Development Programme from 2019 to 2023, aimed to
address the ecological challenges arising from the disappearance of the Aral Sea and the
subsequent formation of the Aral-kum salt desert, covering approximately 5 million hectares,
with 2.9 million hectares in Uzbekistan.[3]
•January 2002, anemia alone was detected in 80%-90% of the population of Karakalpakstan,
while 89% of the population in Kazakhstan experiences digestive problems
• More recent data from 2017 adds that the mortality rate in the regions surrounding the former
seabed was 60-100 out of 1,000, while in the capital Tashkent, the rate was 48 out of 1,000.
• January 2022, the Government of Uzbekistan adopted the Comprehensive Roadmap for the
Development of the Aral Sea Region.
• out of 2.9 million/ha of the dried area
• 1.8 million/ha are already covered with saxaul. [4]
As a result of improper use of the Aral Sea for irrigation, its waters dried up, leaving salts and
other minerals in the soil. Not only did they pollute the soil, but they were carried by wind and
storms and spread to other areas, including cultivated fields. This has led to an increase in
respiratory diseases and cancer. The change in island size also affected the local climate and
caused more and more intense storms. One of the main reasons why most of the Aral Sea area
was damaged was the "misuse of water". Environmental impacts that may affect human health
as a result of changes in the Aral Sea region include "water level decline, pesticides in the
environment and food chain , dust storms, and changes in air".[5] Impact on young child
mortality edit.When the sea dries up, pollutants rise to the surface and settle in the soil, while
also being released into the air. These environmental impacts have had a wide-ranging impact
on the health of the local population . The increase in the number of diseases is related to the
reduction of the area of the Aral Sea. Those most affected by pollutants are infants and
children. Changes in the ecological environment in the region serve to increase infant mortality.
[6] Infant mortality rates have been increasing in this region since the 1970s . It has been
reported that these harmful substances, which cause an increase in infant mortality rates, have
reached 70 in Kazakhstan since 1993 . Toxins can come from a variety of sources: breathing air,
drinking water, and food. However, a young baby doesn't have much choice about what to eat or
drink. It is known that these toxins can also be transferred through breastfeeding, and "in some
areas, doctors do not recommend breastfeeding because breast milk is considered toxic" .[7]
The three main directions of solving the problem of the island and the archipelago, namely,
• firstly, the improvement of the sanitary-epidemiological situation of the region with the
supply of drinking water through pipes to the population, as well as the use of underground
fresh water, were paid attention to the need to dramatically raise the level of health and
sanitation services
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• secondly, to create a "Green belt" by building an artificial dam on the dry southern shores of
the sea and constantly watering the delta ecosystem
• thirdly, to maintain the sea itself. To maintain it, it is necessary to systematically send a large
amount of water to it in addition, it was emphasized by the experts that the construction of
saxophone fields on the dry bottom of the island will prevent the movement of sand and the rise
of dust.[8]
The main challenge of reclamation of the area is the reduction of salt and other harmful
minerals from the seabed. Some solutions include building reservoirs to control runoff and
limiting the amount of water available for irrigation. This year, a total of 100,000 ha will be
allocated for the establishment of "Green cover" protective forests in the dry areas of the Aral
Sea. planned. Extensive work is being done in this regard.In particular, significant work has
been done on strengthening sandslides on the island, reducing the rise of toxic aerosol dust
from the dry part of the island into the air, growing seedlings of desert-resistant and nutritious
plants, and turning the dry part of the sea into trees and shrubs.
On May, 16 2024 Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan Swedish Aral Sea Society organized an
international conference under the prestigious UPPSALA University. The conference was held
on zoom platform in the aim of discussing vital human problems as “Ecological problem”,
“Diseases which comes out of ecology”, “Aral sea”. Young scientific presentators from
Uzbekistan, Kirgyzystan and Kazakstan participated actively with their presentations and it was
moderated by Malin Osman from Uppsala University. In this conference our Nukus Innovation
Institute participated with the presentation of "Public health protection in the regions of the
Aral Sea".
References:
1. https://president.uz/oz/lists/view/6661
2.
https://www.orexca.com/uzbekistan/aralsea.htm
3.
https://www.undp.org/uzbekistan/press-releases/four-expeditions-unveil-fascinating-
insights-aral-seas-dried-bed
4.
https://reliefweb.int/report/uzbekistan/uzbekistan-focus-health-impact-aral-sea-crisis
5.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Aral-Sea/Environmental-consequences
6.
https://ceh.unicef.org/spotlight-risk/air-pollution
7.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_health_problems_in_the_Aral_Sea_region
8.
https://caneecca.org/en/the-water-crisis-in-central-asia-how-to-find-solutions/
