KOK-ARAL DAM

In the early 2000s, Aralsk was more than 100 km from the shore. Local initiatives led to the construction of the first dike, which collapsed during a storm. But before it collapsed, the encouraging results prompted the government and the World Bank to support the local population's efforts and, in 2005, to build a full-fledged dam, enabling the water level to rise again. This 13-km dam, separating the northern and southern parts of the Aral Sea, has enabled the former to gain several dozen kilometers of ground lost over the past forty years. The dam itself is not very impressive, but in summer it attracts dozens of fishermen who indulge in veritable fishing miracles at the foot of the dam. A good place to feel the revival that is sweeping through the villages of the northern Aral Sea. And an opportunity to salute a successful local initiative! The expansion project has raised many hopes, not least that Aralsk will one day once again become a genuine fishing port. On the other hand, the presence of the dike irrevocably condemns what remains of the "great sea" to the south, on the Uzbek side. On the Kazakh side, however, the situation is euphoric: the "little sea" has already seen its level rise by almost ten meters and once again occupies more than a third of the surface area it had lost over the past decades. Fishing has resumed, albeit on a small-scale basis, raising the hopes of an entire population.