Teenagers in Uzbekistan Urge Water Conservation to Save the Aral Sea

FERGHANA, Uzbekistan -- The Aral Sea borders two countries, Kazakhstan to the north and Uzbekistan to the south. The government of Uzbekistan has taken steps to preserve the shrinking sea, including water management policies and conservation technologies. It is also participating in the International Fund for Saving Aral Sea, whose other members are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan. 

And teenagers in the Ferghana region of Uzbekistan are pushing for better ways to irrigate crops and to conserve the use of water in their houses.

"In Uzbekistan, the shortage of water is not so appreciable as in Africa and Asia, but that does not mean that we are allowed to use the water unreasonably," said Mokhichekhra Maripova, 17. Maripova said she uses less water to brush her teeth or take showers "than others who can't understand that water is not endless." 

"It's our duty to introduce to the youth this idea because we are all responsible for nature, for our descendants, for history," she said. 

"Our generation should be more attentive to environmental problems," said Mirzoakbarshokh Akhmedov, 16. "We should find new methods of irrigation that use less water. We can increase renewable water resources, if each person would just make an effort."

For example, Akhmedov said he uses water from a nearby brook to irrigate his garden, rather than using tap water (see video below).

The drying up of the Aral Sea has had serious health effects on the surrounding communities. As the waters disappear, they leave behind sulfates that become airborne during the sand and dust storms that have become more frequent and stronger. According to the Republic of Uzbekistan, almost 80 percent of the children under 11 who live in the Syrdarya River delta suffer from eye illnesses and respiratory diseases. 

By 1993, some 75 million metric tons of dust and salt had been dumped on surrounding lands, killing vegetation and cattle. Salts from the Aral Sea have even been traced as far away as Belarus, over 1,000 kilometers to the northwest, according to PeopleandPlanet.net, an online portal for environmental and health news.

The country's media are filled with public service announcements urging residents to conserve water. Uzbekistan, as the country with the larger population, consumes more than 50 percent of the water in Central Asian rivers. However, more than 85 percent of that water originates in other countries, particularly in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. 

Close to 94 percent of Uzbekistan's water supply is used for farming and 2 percent for industrial purposes. Most of the country's population lives in rural areas that are dependent on farming.