Previous Year Question
Which of the following pairs of countries are around Aral Sea?
Kazakhstan — Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan — Turkmenistan
Azerbaijan — Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan — Russia
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The Aral Sea is a landlocked or endorheic lake in Central Asia situated along the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Its northern part lies in Kazakhstan, while its southern part lies in Uzbekistan.
Its water was supplied mainly by two major Central Asian rivers—the Syr Darya and Amu Darya. The Syr Darya supplied water from the north, while the Amu Darya entered the Aral Sea from the south.
From the 1960s onward, large quantities of water from these rivers were diverted for irrigation, particularly cotton cultivation. Consequently, the Aral Sea began to shrink rapidly. According to NASA, it was once the fourth-largest lake in the world, but its surface area later declined to approximately 10% of its former extent.
Large parts of the exposed lakebed have now developed into the Aralkum Desert. This has contributed to salt and dust storms, collapse of fisheries and serious impacts on the local ecosystem and population.