Creeping environmental problems and sustainable development in the Aral Sea basin: One of the worst human-made environmental catastrophes of the twentieth century

Environmental degradation in the Aral Sea basin in Central Asia has been a touchstone for increasing public awareness of environmental issues. The Aral crisis has been touted as a quiet Chernobyl and as one of the worst human-made environmental catastrophes of the twentieth century. This multidisciplinary book is the first to comprehensively describe the slow onset of low grade but incremental changes (i.e., creeping environmental change) that affected the region and its peoples. Through a set of case studies, it describes how the region's decision-makers allowed these changes to grow into an environmental and societal nightmare. It outlines many lessons to be learned for other areas undergoing detrimental creeping environmental change, and provides an important example of how to approach such disasters for students and researchers of environmental studies, global change, political science and history. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Dedication......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 CONTENTS......Page 7 CONTRIBUTORS......Page 8 INTRODUCTION......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 13 1 Sustainable development and creeping environmental problems in the Aral Sea region......Page 15 Introduction to the notion of creeping environmental problems......Page 18 Thresholds......Page 19 Why do CEPs continue?......Page 20 Creeping environmental problems in the Aral Sea basin......Page 22 EXPANSION OF COTTON ACREAGE......Page 23 SEA LEVEL DECLINE......Page 24 DECLINING WATER QUALITY IN THE RIVERS AND IN THE SEA......Page 25 DECLINE OF FISH POPULATIONS IN THE ARAL SEA......Page 26 INCREASES IN HUMAN DISEASES......Page 27 CRISIS AWARENESS......Page 30 Timely responses to CEPs: What can be done?......Page 33 HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ARAL SEA ANYWAY?......Page 35 Conclusion: Steps decision-makers can take now to encourage sustainable resource management in the Aral Sea basin......Page 36 References......Page 38 2 Ecological disaster linked to landscape composition changes in the Aral Sea basin......Page 40 Concluding comments......Page 51 References......Page 58 Background up to the twentieth century......Page 61 Events after 1900......Page 63 REGIONAL AND GOVERNMENT PLANNING......Page 67 Changes in the 1960s and 1970s......Page 69 REACTION TO THE PROBLEM......Page 71 Changes after the 1970s......Page 72 ACTION FOLLOWING REALIZATION OF THE CRISIS......Page 73 Present situation......Page 75 Conclusion......Page 77 References......Page 78 Scale of desertification......Page 80 Factors influencing desertification development......Page 81 Desertification in the delta plains of the Aral Sea region......Page 83 Stages of desertification development......Page 86 Development of desertification under eluvial conditions (1978–82)......Page 87 Development of desertification in combination with eluvial and waterlogging conditions (1983–95)......Page 89 Main stages of desertification development on the dried-out Aral Sea bottom......Page 91 Aerospace monitoring of desertification......Page 97 References......Page 99 Introduction......Page 100 CIRCULATION FACTORS OF CLIMATE CHANGE......Page 101 TRENDS OF ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION IN THE PERIOD OF THE ARAL SEA CRISIS......Page 103 CHANGES OF AIR TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION......Page 104 THE RELATIONSHIP OF TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION CHANGES TO CHANGES IN ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION......Page 106 HUMAN-INDUCED CHANGES OF LOCAL CLIMATES......Page 107 Conclusion......Page 109 THRESHOLD 5: ACTION......Page 110 References......Page 112 Introduction......Page 114 Natural ecosystem stability......Page 118 Methods and techniques......Page 120 Changes in the Amudarya and Syrdarya deltas......Page 124 Changes in the tugai forest and bush ecosystems......Page 125 THRESHOLD 4......Page 130 Changes in meadow ecosystems......Page 131 Changes in bird populations......Page 133 The formation of natural complexes on the dry Aral seabed......Page 135 Zonal ecosystem changes along the main coast......Page 136 References......Page 139 Introduction......Page 142 Public health status of the Aral Sea coastal region......Page 143 Morbidity of population in the Aral Sea coastal region......Page 149 Dust–salt load on the environment......Page 157 On the realization of changes of medico-ecological situation in the Aral Sea coastal region......Page 161 On thresholds......Page 165 References......Page 168 8 The impact of political ideology on creeping environmental changes in the Aral Sea basin......Page 171 THE LENIN PERIOD (1917–1929)......Page 172 THE STALIN PERIOD (1930–1953)......Page 173 THE KHRUSHCHEV PERIOD (1954–1964)......Page 175 THE BREZHNEV PERIOD (1966–1985)......Page 179 THE PERIOD OF RESTRUCTURING AND PUBLIC ATTENTION (1985–91)......Page 188 Post-Soviet period: independence of the republics of Central Asia and the heritage of cotton self-sufficiency......Page 195 References......Page 202 9 Change of the rivers’ flow in the Aral Sea basin (in connection with the problem of quantitative assessment and.........Page 205 References......Page 215 10 Fish population as an ecosystem component and economic object in the Aral Sea basin......Page 218 References......Page 235 11 Creeping environmental changes in the Karakum Canal’s zone of impact......Page 239 Characterization of the Karakum Canal......Page 241 STAGE II. THE MURGAB-TEDJEN SECTION......Page 242 CEP in the canal zone......Page 243 CEPs in irrigation regions......Page 250 References......Page 257 12 Environmental changes in the Uzbek part of the Aral Sea basin......Page 259 References......Page 274 13 Creeping changes in biological communities in the Aral Sea......Page 275 References......Page 292 INDEX......Page 297 Introduction / Michael H. Glantz -- 1. Sustainable Development And Creeping Environmental Problems In The Aral Sea Region / Michael H. Glantz -- 2. Ecological Disaster Linked To Landscape Composition Changes In The Aral Sea Basin / Elisabeth A. Vostokova -- 3. Alteration Of Water Level And Salinity Of The Aral Sea / Vitalyi N. Bortnik -- 4. Desertification In The Aral Sea Region / Asomitdin A. Rafikov -- 5. Climate Fluctuations And Change In The Aral Sea Basin Within The Last 50 Years / Alexander N. Zolotokrylin -- 6. Priaralye Ecosystems And Creeping Environmental Changes In The Aral Sea / Nina M. Novikova -- 7. Public Health In The Aral Sea Coastal Region And The Dynamics Of Changes In The Ecological Situation / Leonid I. Elpiner -- 8. The Impact Of Political Ideology On Creeping Environmental Changes In The Aral Sea Basin / Igor S. Zonn -- 9. Change Of The Rivers' Flow In The Aral Sea Basin (in Connection With The Problem Of Quantitative Assessment And Consideration Of Environmental After-effects) / K. V. Tsytsenko And V. V. Sumarokova -- 10. Fish Population As An Ecosystem Component And Economic Object In The Aral Sea Basin / Iliya Zholdasova -- 11. Creeping Environmental Changes In The Karakum Canal's Zone Of Impact / Nikolai S. Orlovsky -- 12. Environmental Changes In The Uzbek Part Of The Aral Sea Basin / Anatoly N. Krutov -- 13. Creeping Changes In Biological Communities In The Aral Sea / Nikolai V. Aladin. Edited By Michael H. Glantz. Produced With Technical And Financial Support From The United Nations Environment Programme. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Environmental degradation in the Aral Sea basin has been a touchstone for increasing public awareness of environmental issues. The Aral crisis has been touted as a 'quiet Chernobyl' and as one of the worst human-made environmental catastrophes of the twentieth century. This multidisciplinary 1999 book comprehensively describes the slow onset of low grade but incremental changes (i.e. creeping environmental change) which affected the region and its peoples. Through a set of case studies, it describes how the region's decision-makers allowed these changes to grow into an environmental and societal nightmare. It outlines many lessons to be learned for other areas undergoing detrimental creeping environmental change, and provides an important example of how to approach such disasters for students and researchers of environmental studies, global change, political science and history. "Environmental degradation in the Aral Sea has been a touchstone for increasing public awareness of environmental issues. The Aral crisis has been touted as a 'quiet Chernobyl' and as one of the worst human-made environmental catastrophes of the twentieth century. Just a few decades ago, it was the fourth largest inland body of water in the world. Today, it has fallen to sixth place ... and it continues to shrink." "This multidisciplinary book is the first to comprehensively describe the slow onset of low grade but incremental changes (i.e., creeping environmental change) which affected the region. Over a dozen researchers explore every facet of this environmental disaster: changes in landscape, water level and salinity, river flow changes, fish population dynamics, desertification, public health, and political decision-making."--BOOK JACKET