Disaster by Design: The Aral Sea and Its Lessons for Sustainability

by Michael R. Edelstein (Editor), Astrid Cerny (Editor), Abror Gadaev (Editor)

Overview

Disaster by Design: The Aral Sea, Lessons for Sustainability addresses the impacts of the Aral Sea disaster. The virtual disappearance of what was the world's fourth largest inland body of water was neither natural nor accidental. It was the result of deliberate policy decisions. The sea's disappearance is hardly the entire disaster. Instead, we find an accumulation of cascading effects, beginning with the decision to grow cotton, reached remotely in Moscow that altered the farming practices surrounding the Aral Sea. Unsustainable choices resulted in soil salinization, water pollution and toxic blowing sands, impacting the entire bioregion and beyond. A remote island was used to test biological weapons. Uzbekistan, most notably Karakalpakstan, was the autonomous republic at the epicenter of the disaster. Sustainable prospects exist, including renewable energy, permaculture and strengthening the social fabric amidst poverty and ecological collapse. This volume of Research in Social Problems and Public Policy is essential reading for everyone concerned with averting environmental disaster and instead creating livable, sustainable communities. Disaster by Design is a clarion call and an insightful study of Central Asia today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781781903759
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Publication date:	11/27/2012
Series:	Research in Social Problems and Public Policy , #20
Pages:	300
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.69(d)

Table of Contents

List of Contributors xi

Acknowledgments xv

Maps of Uzbekistan and the Greater Aral Sea Region xix

List of Tables and Figures xxxi

List of Maps xxxv

Preface xxxvii

Section 1 The Multiple Disasters of the Aral Sea

Chapter 1 An Overview of the Aral Sea Disaster Abror Gadaev Zikrilla Yasakov 5

Chapter 2 Going With the Flow: Economic Impacts from the Overuse of Irrigation Ilkhomjon Niyazov Farhod Ahrorov Astrid Cerny Michael R. Edelstein 17

Chapter 3 Pollution and Salinization: Compounding the Aral Sea Disaster Farhod Ahrorov Olim Murtazaev Bahtiyor Abdullaev 29

Chapter 4 Death and Rebirth Island: Secrets in the U.S.S.R.'S Culture of Contamination Michael R. Edelstein 37

Chapter 5 Potential Climate and Hydrological Changes in the Aral Sea Region James R. Miller Imtiaz Rangwala Debjani Ghatak 53

Chapter 6 The Significance of Being Downstream: Uzbek Concerns Over the Rogun Dam Murad Askarov 65

Section 2 The Aral Disaster in Historical Perspective

Chapter 7 A Last Movement for a Lost Sea Yusup S. Kamalov 77

Chapter 8 Aral Sea Analogs in the American West Howard Horowitz 89

Chapter 9 Disaster By Design: The Multiple Caused Catastrophes of the Aral Sea Michael R. Edelstein 105

Section 3 Cotton, Cotton Everywhere, But Not a Drop To Drink: Agriculture as the Villain

Chapter 10 What Went Wrong: The Case of Un-Ecological Agriculture Michael Wilson 159

Chapter 11 The Nonarable Aral: Loss of Productivity in Uzbek Agriculture Farhod Ahrorov Ilkhomjon Niyazov 175

Chapter 12 Cotton in Our Ears: Water, Agriculture, and Climatic Change in the Post Aral Context Shavkat Hasanov Mirza Nomman Ahmed Ibragim Ganiev Olim Murtazaev 187

Chapter 13 Water Footprints: Integrated Water Resource Management to the Rescue in the Aral Sea Basin Inna Rudenko Utkur Djanibekov Kudrat Nurmetov John P. A. Lamers 197

Section 4 Adapting to Catastrophe: Cascading Social Impacts of the Aral Sea Disaster

Chapter 14 The Tragedy of the Aral: Counting on Cotton, A Region Loses Its People Astrid Cerny 223

Chapter 15 Reflections on Growing up in the Karakalpakstan Region Aziz Murtazaev 251

Chapter 16 An Unhealthy Place to Live: Prioritizing Public Health and Addressing Environmental Contamination in Karakalpakstan Ramona Lall 261

Chapter 17 A Physician's Observations of Karakalpak Health Rakhmon U. Arzikulov Laylo L. Almatova Saodat Safarova 275

Chapter 18 Ecological Change in the Aral Region: Adaptations By the Spoonbill and Black-Crowned Night Heron Mukhtor Turaev 283

Chapter 19 Environmental Change as a Threat to the Khorezm Heritage Gavkhar Salaevna Durdieva 291

Chapter 20 Whose Disaster is it Anyway? Romancing the World Heritage Status in Uzbekistan Flavia Alaya 305

Section 5 Designing Solutions: Social, Ecological and Technological Approaches

Chapter 21 New Thinking and New Approaches: A Bioregional Response to the Lost Aral Sea Yusup S. Kamalov 327

Chapter 22 Renewable Social Energy: Mahalla as a Traditional Institution for Sustainability Lola Gulyamova 335

Chapter 23 Clearing the Pipes: Providing Potable Water Through Well Restoration Abror Gadaev Gulmira Boboeva 349

Chapter 24 Renewing With Renewables: Direct Solar Energy Use in Developing Countries William J. Makofske 357

Chapter 25 Getting the Salt Out: Innovative Solar Technologies for Rural Clean Water Eshkuvat Arzikulov Qamariddin N. Srojev 373

Chapter 26 Renewable Energy as a Key Factor for Sustainable Development in Uzbekistan Ashraf Khodjaev 385

Chapter 27 Permaculture Restoration of the Aral Sea Watershed Andrew Jones 391

Section 6 Lessons of the Aral Sea Disaster: Implications for Social Learning

Chapter 28 Aral Sea Demise as a Dry Run for Climate Change: From Cumulative to Cascading Impacts Michael R. Edelstein 415

Chapter 29 Highlands-to-Sea Cooperation in the Aral Sea Basin: Linking or Sinking? Michael H. Glantz 443

About the Authors 453