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How did irrigation for cotton farming contribute to the shrinking of the Aral Sea?

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A map of the continent of Asia, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities, as well as parts of Europe, Africa, and surrounding oceans. — Asia Map showing the countries and national capitals of Asia.

The shrinking of the Aral Sea was primarily caused by large-scale irrigation projects initiated by the Soviet Union during the second half of the 20th century.12

To support the massive cultivation of cotton in Central Asia, the Soviet government diverted the waters of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers—the sea's two primary sources of inflow—to irrigate arid lands. As these rivers were redirected to supply water for agricultural development, the volume of water reaching the Aral Sea dropped drastically, causing the lake to shrink rapidly due to evaporation.13425

This ecological disaster had severe consequences, including the collapse of the local fishing industry, the concentration of salts and minerals in the remaining water, and the creation of toxic dust storms from the exposed seabed, which significantly impacted the health of regional populations. While some efforts have been made to stabilize the northern portion of the sea, the southern portion has suffered a more permanent and drastic decline.1254