The Aral Sea crisis and its future: An assessment in 2006

An American geographer and noted international authority on water management problems in Russia and Central Asia presents an account of an expedition, in late 2005 (under the sponsorship of the National Geographic Society) to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, focused on the Aral Sea. The steadily drying inland sea, with a surface area of 67,500 km(2) in 1960, had split into two parts and shrunk to 17,380 km(2) in 2006. The paper provides an up-to-date overview of the crisis and presents an optimistic scenario of the sea's future, noting development of economic activities (particularly fisheries) in its surrounding settlements. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: 013, Q15, Q25. 6 figures, I table, 55 references. Key words: Aral Sea, irrigation agriculture, fisheries, brine shrimp industry, hazardous wastes, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan.