Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 4 • Number 1 • 22nd January 2004
Lake Balkhash Facing Same Fate Aral Sea?
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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently raised concerns that the second biggest lake in Central Asia — lake Balkhash — might face the same fate as the Aral Sea and dry out due to unsustainable water management practices. The Balkhash Sea — forty times the size of Lake Geneva and located in Kazakhstan — is fed with water from several rivers the main one being the Ili river, which flows through China. Recent industrial and agricultural developments as well as population growth have led to an increased use of the Ili river water. The UNDP team manager highlighted the urgent need for Kazakhstan to come to an agreement with China with regards to how much water China could use from the Ili. Achieving such an agreement could prove to be politically sensitive although necessary to save the lake, according to UNDP. “If there is no agreement with China on the amount of water it can use from the Ili, Balkhash will be damaged in the same way the Aral was,” said UNDP’s environment team chief in Almaty. He furthermore added that another issue to be dealt with the use of the water by the Kazakh’s themselves who do not pay market rates for it as well as agricultural system consumes too much water in relation to its production.
“Kazakhs May Face Another Aral Sea Disaster, UN Says,” REUTERS, 16 January 2004.
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