The water volume in the northern part of the Aral Sea has nearly doubled since 2008, according to Kazakhstan's Kazinform News Agency.

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Once the fourth-largest lake in the world lying between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the freshwater sea used to be 40 metres deep, covering an area of 68,000 sq km. However, it became one of the world’s worst environmental catastrophes when most of the Aral Sea dried up due to Soviet irrigation projects.

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According to a recent statement from the Central Asian Republic’s Water Resources Ministry, the volume of water in the northern, smaller section of the sea has “increased by 42% and reached 27 billion cubic metres” since 2008.

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“Thanks to the implementation of phase one of the (Northern) Aral Sea conservation project,” the ministry added.

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Aral Sea conservation project

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The first phase of the North Aral Sea conservation project has led to a significant reduction in water salinity and an increase in annual fish catch to 8,000 tons, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said. The scheme is jointly funded by the country’s government and the World Bank for constructing infrastructure that stops the water from flowing out of the sea.

In 2024, the authorities directed 2.6 billion cubic metres of water into the northern of the sea, including one billion cubic metres during the irrigation season. 

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The water was directed from the Syr Darya River after making arrangements for better management and redistribution, with support from neighbouring countries, said Kazakh Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.

The five former Soviet republics of Central Asia have decided upon annual water quotas for the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, which feed water to the Aral Sea. The restoration project focuses on enhancing the ecology of the region, boosting the fishing industry and promoting eco-tourism.

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Kazakhstan announced in November last year, that it plans to supply additional 1.6 billion cubic metres of water to the sea by April this year.

Under the Soviet Union, the rivers feeding the sea were diverted for the purpose of agricultural activities, mainly for rice and cotton cultivation. From the 1960s to the 2010s, the sea was reduced by as much as 90 per cent in size.

By the late 1980s, the sea was divided into two parts, a larger section on the Uzbek side, most of which dried out, and a smaller part on the northern Kazakh side, which has been the focus of conservational efforts.

(With inputs from agencies)