The Northern Aral Sea's remarkable revival after decades of decline

The Northern Aral Sea, once a shrinking remnant of a vast waterbody, is now refilling and reshaping its borders. Decades of reckless water management had drained most of its volume, but recent efforts have begun to reverse the damage. The Aral Sea was once the world’s fourth-largest lake, covering nearly 70,000 square kilometres. Poor irrigation practices and overuse caused it to lose three-quarters of its water and over half its surface area.

In 2005, the Kokaral Dam was built to stop the drainage. This allowed the Small Aral—the northern half—to slowly refill. Today, it holds over 23.5 billion cubic metres of water.

The distance from the port city of Aralsk to the shoreline has dropped dramatically, from 70 kilometres to just 17. Now classified as a man-made sea, the Small Aral receives an annual inflow target of two billion cubic metres.

A new plan will raise its water level by two metres, reaching 43 metres above the Baltic datum. This expansion will grow its surface area from 3,100 to 3,900 square kilometres and increase its total volume to 34 billion cubic metres. The Small Aral’s recovery marks a significant shift from decades of decline. With continued water management, its surface and volume will keep growing, reshaping the region’s landscape and economy.