Desiccation of lakes

Desiccation of inland seas

Nature

Desiccation of lakes refers to the drying up or significant reduction of water levels in lakes, often resulting from climate change, excessive water extraction, and altered river flows. This phenomenon poses serious environmental, economic, and social problems, including loss of biodiversity, disruption of local ecosystems, reduced water availability for agriculture and communities, and increased dust storms from exposed lakebeds. Notable examples include the Aral Sea and Lake Chad, where desiccation has led to ecological collapse and human hardship. Addressing lake desiccation requires sustainable water management and coordinated international efforts to mitigate its far-reaching impacts.

Background

The desiccation of lakes emerged as a global concern in the late 20th century, notably following the dramatic shrinkage of the Aral Sea and Lake Chad. Satellite imagery and hydrological studies revealed widespread declines in lake volumes across continents, prompting international attention to the ecological, economic, and social consequences. Ongoing research and monitoring have since highlighted the accelerating pace and interconnected drivers of lake desiccation, underscoring its significance as a pressing environmental crisis.

Incidence

Between 1967 and 1997, the Aral Sea, once at 65,000 square kilometers the world's fourth-largest lake, has shrunk by more than half, to 12,000 miles. For thousands of years Central Asia's two great rivers, the Amy Darya and the Syr Darya, fed the Aral. But as this region became the main Soviet source of cotton, a maze of irrigation canals was built. Much of the diverted water was lost to evaporation and seepage, because the canals were neither covered nor lined. After those losses and the huge amounts of water that the cotton plantations absorbed, only a trickle was left to feed the Aral.

Claim

Towns on the former shoreline become deserted, abandoned ships lie in a sandy graveyard, a grim reminder of how quickly such catastrophes can overwhelm communities and nations.

Never before has such a case been witnessed in history. In the lifetime of only one generation, the death of a whole sea. Irrigation water was taken from the Aral, and it was forgotten that this was drained blood from this sea.

Counter-claim

The desiccation of lakes is vastly overstated as a problem. Natural cycles have always caused water bodies to shrink and expand, and human adaptation has kept pace. The focus on disappearing lakes distracts from more pressing global issues like poverty and disease. Alarmism over lake desiccation wastes resources that could be better spent elsewhere. In reality, the world can easily adjust to these changes without significant negative consequences.