Why was the Aral Sea once the worldâs fourth largest inland body of water?
The Aral Sea was once the worldâs fourth-largest inland body of water because, until the 1960s, it maintained a stable water balance. This equilibrium was achieved because the volume of water flowing into the lake from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers was roughly equal to the amount of water lost through evaporation.12
During this period, the sea covered approximately 26,300 square miles (68,000 square km) and reached a surface elevation of 175 feet (53 meters) above sea level. This stable state was supported by the consistent discharge of these two major rivers, which had maintained high water levels in the Aral Sea basin for centuries, following the lake's initial formation and subsequent geological fluctuations.12
The subsequent, dramatic decline of the sea was not a natural occurrence but the result of Soviet Union economic policies that diverted these vital riverine waters for large-scale irrigation projects, effectively cutting off the lake's primary water supply.12