Editing Aral Sea (section)

===Future of South Aral Sea===

The South Aral Sea, half of which lies in Uzbekistan, was abandoned to its fate. Most of Uzbekistan's part of the Aral Sea is completely shriveled up. Only excess water from the North Aral Sea is periodically allowed to flow into the largely dried-up South Aral Sea through a [[sluice]] in the dike.<ref>{{cite web|title=Saving a Corner of the Aral Sea|url= http://go.worldbank.org/IE3PGWPVJ0|publisher=[[The World Bank]]|date=1 September 2005|access-date=17 May 2008}}</ref>  Discussions had been held on recreating a channel between the somewhat improved North and the desiccated South, along with uncertain wetland restoration plans throughout the region, but political will is lacking.<ref name=reclaim/> Unlike Kazakhstan, which has partially revived its part of the Aral Sea, Uzbekistan shows no signs of abandoning the [[Amu Darya]] river to irrigate their cotton, and is moving toward oil exploration in the drying South Aral seabed.<ref name=thetimes/>

Attempts to mitigate the effects of [[desertification]] include planting vegetation in the newly exposed seabed; however, intermittent flooding of the eastern basin is likely to prove problematic for any development. Redirecting what little flow there is from the Amu Darya to the western basin may salvage fisheries there while relieving the flooding of the eastern basin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boku.ac.at/iwhw/onlinepublikationen/nachtnebel/EU_INTAS_0511_Rebasows/Files/Summary_report.pdf|title=The rehabilitation of the ecosystem and bioproductivity of the Aral Sea under conditions of water scarcity|date=August 2007|access-date=9 November 2010|archive-date=13 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213010127/http://www.boku.ac.at/iwhw/onlinepublikationen/nachtnebel/EU_INTAS_0511_Rebasows/Files/Summary_report.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The reforestation is focused on plants adapted to desert conditions such as ''[[Haloxylon ammodendron]]'', ''[[Ephedra strobilacea]]'', ''[[Salsola]]'' species, and ''[[Tamarix]]'' species. The eventual aim is to plant up to {{convert|200000|ha}} of forest in the Uzbekistan portion. The forest is intended to slow desertification and reduce the impact of sandstorms on nearby communities.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/uzbekistan-plants-a-forest-where-a-sea-once-lay/ |title=Uzbekistan plants a forest where a sea once lay |author=Sonam Lama Hyolmo |work=Mongabay |date=29 May 2024 |access-date=7 June 2024}}</ref>