Editing Geography of Turkmenistan (section)

===The Aral Sea===
Turkmenistan both contributes to and suffers from the consequences of the desiccation of the [[Aral Sea]].<ref name=":0" /> Because of excessive irrigation, Turkmen agriculture contributes to the steady drawdown of sea levels.<ref name=":0" /> In turn, the Aral Sea's [[desiccation]], which had shrunk that body of water by an estimated {{Convert|59,000|km2|sp=us}} by 1994, profoundly affects economic productivity and the health of the population of the republic.<ref name=":0" /> Besides the cost of ameliorating damaged areas and the loss of at least part of the initial investment in them, salinization and chemicalization of land have reduced agricultural productivity in Central Asia by an estimated 20–25%.<ref name=":0" /> Poor drinking water is the main health risk posed by such [[environmental degradation]].<ref name=":0" /> In [[Dashhowuz Province]], which has suffered the greatest ecological damage from the Aral Sea's desiccation, bacteria levels in drinking water exceeded ten times the sanitary level; 70% of the population has experienced illnesses, many with [[hepatitis]], and [[infant mortality]] is high.<ref name=":0" /> Experts have warned that inhabitants will have to evacuate the province by the end of the century unless a comprehensive cleanup program is undertaken.<ref name=":0" /> Turkmenistan has announced plans to clean up some of the Aral Sea fallout with financial support from the [[World Bank]].<ref name=":0" />