Mapping
Source: DTE
Context: The drying of the Aral Sea in Central Asia has led to the emergence of the Aralkum Desert, making the region much dustier.
Dust emissions from the desert have almost doubled over the past 30 years, impacting air quality and climate. The dust contains residues of fertilizers and pesticides from former agriculture, making it more hazardous.
About Aral Sea
It was once a large saltwater lake (an endorheic lake: a closed basin lake that retains water and does not have an outflow) in Central Asia, and now lies on the boundary between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It has drastically shrunk due to human activities like excessive irrigation. It was once the world’s fourth-largest lake. UNESCO has recognized the environmental tragedy of the Aral Sea by adding historical documents to its Memory of the World Register.
Other important lakes that have also shrunk in the last few decades include Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran, situated in a large central depression, and Lake Hamoun, a freshwater lake on the Iran-Afghanistan border.
