The Aral Sea, once the fourth largest lake in the world, has largely dried up due to water diversion for irrigation during the Soviet era. Environmentalists are now planting trees in its former bed to combat desertification.
In Kazakhstan, Maria Zadneprovskaya, the deputy manager of the Aral Sea Environmental Restoration Project, has spent three years working to revive the lake's ecosystem. The region, now known as Aralkum, has transformed into one of the world's youngest deserts, covering 62,000 square kilometers.
Zadneprovskaya's team is planting black saxaul trees over 500 hectares to stabilize the soil and mitigate the impacts of climate change. These trees can anchor up to 4,000 kilograms of sand, helping to reduce health risks from dust storms.
Historically, the Aral Sea's water levels have drastically declined, impacting local communities that depended on fishing and agriculture. The town of Aralsk has seen a population decline, but efforts like the Kok-Aral dam have raised water levels in parts of the northern sea.
Despite these challenges, the Oasis Project aims to create new ecosystems. The survival rates of the saxaul trees vary, but local involvement in planting is crucial for long-term success. Increased awareness about climate change in the region is also helping to foster community engagement.
As the environmental restoration continues, the area is slowly transforming, with some saxaul trees already bearing fruit, signaling a fragile but hopeful recovery in a landscape once dominated by the Aral Sea.