Future

The North Aral Sea is in a quite good condition now. The sea level and salinity is stabilized, and the surface area is further expanding (8). A second dam is in construction, aimed at connecting water to the once coastal city Aralsk (11).

On the other hand, the South Aral Sea has been sadly abandoned with the construction of the dam. In 2003 Big Aral itself split into Southwestern and Southeastern portions. After the inflow from its north neighbor was cut off in 2005, the only water source of the South Aral Sea is groundwater in the west. In 2009, the Southeastern Sea dried up. Fortunately it regained some snow melt water next spring, but it is still very likely to disappear again in several years.  

Southwestern Aral Sea dried up in 2009 (Source: NASA (13))

The Southwestern Sea is slightly replenished by groundwater, but that inflow is still not enough to maintain its size (9). Its sea level is now 14m, only one third of Little Aral; salinity is 70 gram per liter, twice of ordinary seawater (8). The only nearby water source is the Amu Darya River located in Uzbekistan. However, Uzbekistan government has no plan to redirect the river, as its important irrigation source for cotton fields, to the shrinking lake (2). Without further protection, the Southwestern Aral Sea would definitely follow in the footsteps of its eastern brother.