The shrinking Aral Sea
River diversions for irrigation reduced inflow to the Aral Sea from the 1960s. NASA’s image series shows changing extent and the separation of northern and southern water bodies.
Different basins have different trajectories. A dry eastern lobe in one image does not establish that the entire Aral Sea disappeared permanently.
Saved on this browser. An example’s listed role does not certify that it covers every specification dimension.
Evidence and its scope
| Claim | Period and scope | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NASA identifies diversion of two major inflowing rivers for irrigation as a driver of long-term shrinkage. | From the 1960s; account published December 2018 | Open source |
Possible requirement roles
- Water supply and securityDefine the supply area and period.; Connect physical availability, demand and infrastructure.; Evaluate financial, energy, ecological and distributional effects.
- An ecosystem and its managementIdentify the ecosystem’s scale and processes.; Explain interactions and human pressures.; Do not attribute every change to a single cause.