Syr Daria: the damned river From its very beginning till the Aral sea, Syr Daria river, a two thousand miles long river, accumulates the whole major ecological and water related problems one can ever face on earth. A Photo story by Marc Roussel / LightMediation
2650-01: N 42째 16,794' E 073째 10,647' . The Sousamyr river is pooring down the Kirghyz summits to the Naryn river that becomes itself the Syr Daria once in Uzbekistan.
Contact - Thierry Tinacci - LightMediation Photo Agency - +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 email: thierry@lightmediation.com
2650-01: N 42° 16,794' E 073° 10,647' La riviere Sousamyr coule des sommets kirghizes vers la Naryn qui deviendra ensuite le Syr-Daria. /// N
2650-02: N 42° 16,073' E 073° 12,138' Col d'Otmiok (3.330 m), une des sources du Syr-Daria, le plus long fleuve d'Asie centrale, dans les
2650-03: N 41° 25,753' E 072° 14,974' Après le barrage de Toktogul, la rivière Naryn encore vierge de toute pollution, coule vers l'Ouzbékistan.
2650-04: N 41° 29,927' E 072° 21,852' Le barrage sur la Naryn est controle par la compagnie nationale d'electricite qui appartient au fils du
2650-04: N 41째 29,927' E 072째 21,852' . The dam on the Naryn is controled by the national power company which belongs to the son of the President.
2650-05: N 41° 37,857' E 072° 40,739' . Kara-Kul village. As shown on the building picture, the Toktogul reservoir supplies the whole region with water and electricity.
2650-06: N 41° 46,524 E 072° 58,150' . Toktogul reservoir is 16 m below its standard level. The national power company belongs to the son of the President who decided to sell electricity to Uzbekistan during
2650-07: N 41° 16,987' E 072° 28,598' "Hill n°3". Along the river Maili Suu the Soviets used to treat the uranium ore and store the radioactive waste in such plants, now abandonned.
2650-08: N 41° 16,987' E 072° 28,598' . "Hill n°3" is considered as the most dangerous by Sagyn Kenjebayev, the head doctor of Maili Suu hospital. This plant, now abandonned, was used for nuclear
2650-08: N 41째 16,987' E 072째 28,598' "Hill n째3" is considered as the most dangerous by Sagyn Kenjebayev, the head doctor of Maili Suu hospital. This plant, now abandonned, was used for nuclear weapons making.
2650-09: N 41° 17,773' E 072° 28,618'. "Hill n°5". There is, along the Maili Suu river, 23 such hills where between 1.5 and 2 millions m3 of radiioactive waste are stored open air. This is a sismic zone and huge
2650-10: N 41° 18,298' E 072° 29,678' . Uranium mines, close to the village named Serdia, in the Maili Suu valley. After the cold war, the plants were abandonned and today the radioactivity is 75 times more
2650-11: N 41° 45,854' E 073° 07,298' . The heavy rain falls drain chemical and radioactive waste of abandonned industry. The water is then flowing to the Syr Daria, changing the whole ecosystem.
2650-12: N 41° 23,204' E 071° 24,387' . The shepperd and his cattle are drinking in the river Kasan Sai, a tributary of Syr Daria, 20 km down the gold mine of Terek Sai.
2650-12: N 41째 23,204' E 071째 24,387' . The shepperd and his cattle are drinking in the river Kasan Sai, a tributary of Syr Daria, 20 km down the gold mine of Terek Sai.
2650-13: N 41° 13,542' E 071° 18,976' . Shekaftar. There is about ten radioactive waste hills around the village and the river. There is no potable water in Shekaftar and women have to use water from the river
2650-14: N 41° 14,006' E 071° 18,719' . Built along the river Rieshka, Shekaftar now holds many radioactive waste hills (as the one background), coming from the former uranium mines.
2650-15: N 41° 14,534' E 071° 18,895' . Less than 2 km from the uranium mine, the river Rieshka provides to Shekaftar the only supply of water.
2650-16: N 41° 14,527' E 072° 26,432' Under treatment by the Family medical Centre N°4 in Maili Suu, Aligapar Assilav, aged 14, suffers with a bone disabling after radiation exposure.
2650-20: N 46째 01,806' E 061째 03,131' ; Despite a continental climate, massive irrigation plans drained out most of the water flowing from Syr Daria to the Aral sea.
2650-17: N 45° 50,914' E 062° 09,312' "Here in Kazalinsky, water is as precious as gold" says Camilla Mambietova.
2650-18: N 43° 09,510' E 067° 50,424' After uranium mines in Kirghyzstan, Syr Daria reaches Kazakhstan where, since Staline times, its water is drained for irrigation.
2650-19: N 42° 58,399' E 068° 51,739' Kokaral, near the Kirghyz-Kazakh border. A vast irrigation network is now abandonned.
2650-20: N 46° 01,806' E 061° 03,131' ; Despite a continental climate, massive irrigation plans drained out most of the water flowing from Syr Daria to the Aral sea.
2650-22: N 43째 13,701' E 067째 46,730' . Most of the channels are abandonned, even if the water is still flowing, for nothing except evaporation.
2650-21: N 43° 08,544' E 067° 48,163'. Following an irrigation network created by the Khans in the XVIIIth century, Staline planners decided to use the Syr Daria water to grow cotton and rice. 50 years later,
2650-22: N 43° 13,701' E 067° 46,730' . Most of the channels are abandonned, even if the water is still flowing, for nothing except evaporation.
2650-23: N 44° 37,145' E 065° 54,275' . Around Kyzylorda, a bird's eye view of Syr Daria, 2000 km after its spring.
2650-24: N 45° 28,138' E 064° 03,870' . The biggest river of Central Asia, Syr Daria encounters all the ecological problems one can imagine
2650-21: N 43째 08,544' E 067째 48,163' . Following an irrigation network created by the Khans in the XVIIIth century, Staline planners decided to use the Syr Daria water to grow cotton and rice. 50 years later, nothing is growing and most of the water is wasted.
2650-25: N 45° 03,930' E 064° 39,417'. Jalagash. This is the only point for water in the whole village, even if Syr Daria's water is getting lost in the Kazakh steppes.
2650-26: N 45° 03,930' E 064° 39,417' . People from Jalagash need to walk several kilometers to get water at this unique point.
2650-27: N 46° 06,085' E 060° 46,217' . Built by the Kazakhs in 2005, Kok-Aral dam divides the little sea (right on the photo) and the main Aral sea. Water coming from Syr Daria is feeding the little sea while the
2650-28: N 46° 06,461' E 060° 46,139' Thanks to the dam, financed by the World Bank, the little Aral sea has got back 30% of its surface. But the water is still 3 times more salty than 50 years ago.
2650-27: N 46째 06,085' E 060째 46,217' . Built by the Kazakhs in 2005, Kok-Aral dam divides the little sea (right on the photo) and the main Aral sea. Water coming from Syr Daria is feeding the little sea while the main one is draining more and more.
2650-29: N 46° 06,453' E 060° 46,115' . While the main Aral sea seems to be abandonned, water is coming back in the little one, with an average depth that is now 38 m compared to 30 m 5 years ago.
2650-30: N 46° 35,383' E 061° 15,397'. After going away 50 km from the port of Aralsk, water is now "only" 30 km from its previous shore.
2650-31: N 46° 49,054' E 061° 37,941' . Between 1960 and 2000, the Aral sea lost 80% of its volume and 50% of its surface. Salty meadows and heavy winds carrying pesticides made sustainable agriculture
2650-32: N 46° 39,109' E 061° 11,114' . The lost of the Aral sea caused by overexploitation of Syr Daria waters is one of the major ecological catastrophies in the XXth century. Tens of thousands square miles of
2650-33: N 46째 47,631' E 061째 39,693' . Once the biggest fishermen' harbour from the Aral sea, Aralsk is now 30 km away from water. 3/4 of the population is now unemployed, living only with very little funds from the Kazakh government.
2650-33: N 46° 47,631' E 061° 39,693' . Once the biggest fishermen' harbour from the Aral sea, Aralsk is now 30 km away from water. 3/4 of the population is now unemployed, living only with very little funds from
2650-34: N 46° 47,195' E 061° 39,068' . Aralsk hospital. Potable water holds 4 times more salt than recommended by the WHO and winds carry millions of tons of sand containing pesticides that provoke
2650-35: N 46° 47,195' E 061° 39,068' . Aralsk hospital. Because of the pollution, the city has the highest children mortality rate in the world.
2650-36: N 46° 47,195' E 061° 39,068' . Aralsk Hospital. Because of salt and pesticides rate in the air, cancers, anemia and tuberculosis are much more frequent than the international average. Health services
2650-35: N 46째 47,195' E 061째 39,068' . Aralsk hospital. Because of the pollution, the city has the highest children mortality rate in the world.
Syr Daria: the damned river A two thousand miles long river, Syr Daria starts in the Tien Shan mountains, crosses the Ferghana Valley in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, then the Kazakh steppes before ending in the little Aral sea. From its very beginning till the Aral sea, this river accumulates the whole major ecological and water related problems one can ever face on earth. - In Kirghizstan, a dam on the Naryn river (Kirghyz name of the Syr Daria) holds the reservoir of Toktogul: power generation and management issues. - Along the Maili Suu river, abandoned uranium mines and 23 radioactive waste hills: river and valley radioactive pollution. - Still in Kirghizstan, the village of Shekaftar faces the same problems: uranium pollution, no potable water. - Still north, along the Kasan Sai river, another tributary of Syr Daria, the gold mine of Terek Sai: gold and mercury pollution in the river. - Down in the Ferghana Valley, where 7 million people are living, radioactivity is sometimes 30 to 40 times higher than average level. - Syr-Daria then crosses the border and flows a thousand miles through the steppes till the Aral sea. That's where the Soviets decided to grow cotton and rice, diverting and draining nearly the whole water of Syr Daria through a network of
channels that the Khans started to build in the XVIIIth century. The result: one of the biggest ecological catastrophy of the XXth century. The Aral sea lost 80% of its surface and 90% of its volume. The population is suffering from many diseases due to high salt, pesticides and insecticides concentration in the water and the air. - Since 2007, the Kazakh government built for its propaganda a dam to divide the little and main Aral sea. The little stream coming from the Syr Daria is feeding the little sea while the main sea is still decreasing. What the Kazakh gain, the Uzbek lose.
Captions 2650-01: N 42° 16,794' E 073° 10,647' . The Sousamyr river is pooring down the Kirghyz summits to the Naryn river that becomes itself the Syr Daria once in Uzbekistan. 2650-02: N 42° 16,073' E 073° 12,138' . Otmiok pass (10.000 ft) in Kirghyzstan, one of the springs of the river Syr Daria, the longest one in central Asia. 2650-03: N 41° 25,753' E 072° 14,974' . After the dam of Toktogul, the Naryn river is still absolutely pure on its way to Uzbekistan. 2650-04: N 41° 29,927' E 072° 21,852' . The dam on the Naryn is controled by the national power company which belongs to the son of the President. 2650-05: N 41° 37,857' E 072° 40,739' . Kara-Kul village. As shown on the building picture, the Toktogul reservoir supplies the whole region with water and electricity. 2650-06: N 41° 46,524 E 072° 58,150' . Toktogul reservoir is 16 m below its standard level. The national power company belongs to the son of the President who decided to sell electricity to Uzbekistan during the last winter. 2650-07: N 41° 16,987' E 072° 28,598' "Hill n°3". Along the river Maili Suu the Soviets used to treat the uranium ore and store the radioactive waste in such plants, now abandonned. 2650-08: N 41° 16,987' E 072° 28,598' . "Hill n°3" is considered as the most dangerous by Sagyn Kenjebayev, the
head doctor of Maili Suu hospital. This plant, now abandonned, was used for nuclear weapons making. 2650-09: N 41° 17,773' E 072° 28,618'. "Hill n°5". There is, along the Maili Suu river, 23 such hills where between 1.5 and 2 millions m3 of radiioactive waste are stored open air. This is a sismic zone and huge rains use to poor down the valley and the hills, and further in the Ferghana Valley where several million people are living. 2650-10: N 41° 18,298' E 072° 29,678' . Uranium mines, close to the village named Serdia, in the Maili Suu valley. After the cold war, the plants were abandonned and today the radioactivity is 75 times more than the maximum tolerated. 2650-11: N 41° 45,854' E 073° 07,298' . The heavy rain falls drain chemical and radioactive waste of abandonned industry. The water is then flowing to the Syr Daria, changing the whole ecosystem. 2650-12: N 41° 23,204' E 071° 24,387' . The shepperd and his cattle are drinking in the river Kasan Sai, a tributary of Syr Daria, 20 km down the gold mine of Terek Sai. 2650-13: N 41° 13,542' E 071° 18,976' . Shekaftar. There is about ten radioactive waste hills around the village and the river. There is no potable water in Shekaftar and women have to use water from the river for cooking and drinking. 2650-14: N 41° 14,006' E 071° 18,719' . Built along the river Rieshka, Shekaftar now holds many radioactive waste hills (as the one background), coming from the former uranium mines.
2650-15: N 41° 14,534' E 071° 18,895' . Less than 2 km from the uranium mine, the river Rieshka provides to Shekaftar the only supply of water. 2650-16: N 41° 14,527' E 072° 26,432' Under treatment by the Family medical Centre N°4 in Maili Suu, Aligapar Assilav, aged 14, suffers with a bone disabling after radiation exposure. 2650-17: N 45° 50,914' E 062° 09,312' "Here in Kazalinsky, water is as precious as gold" says Camilla Mambietova. 2650-18: N 43° 09,510' E 067° 50,424' After uranium mines in Kirghyzstan, Syr Daria reaches Kazakhstan where, since Staline times, its water is drained for irrigation.
Around Kyzylorda, a bird's eye view of Syr Daria, 2000 km after its spring. 2650-24: N 45° 28,138' E 064° 03,870' . The biggest river of Central Asia, Syr Daria encounters all the ecological problems one can imagine 2650-25: N 45° 03,930' E 064° 39,417'. Jalagash. This is the only point for water in the whole village, even if Syr Daria's water is getting lost in the Kazakh steppes. 2650-26: N 45° 03,930' E 064° 39,417' . People from Jalagash need to walk several kilometers to get water at this unique point.
2650-19: N 42° 58,399' E 068° 51,739' Kokaral, near the Kirghyz-Kazakh border. A vast irrigation network is now abandonned.
2650-27: N 46° 06,085' E 060° 46,217' . Built by the Kazakhs in 2005, Kok-Aral dam divides the little sea (right on the photo) and the main Aral sea. Water coming from Syr Daria is feeding the little sea while the main one is draining more and more.
2650-20: N 46° 01,806' E 061° 03,131' ; Despite a continental climate, massive irrigation plans drained out most of the water flowing from Syr Daria to the Aral sea.
2650-28: N 46° 06,461' E 060° 46,139' Thanks to the dam, financed by the World Bank, the little Aral sea has got back 30% of its surface. But the water is still 3 times more salty than 50 years ago.
2650-21: N 43° 08,544' E 067° 48,163'. Following an irrigation network created by the Khans in the XVIIIth century, Staline planners decided to use the Syr Daria water to grow cotton and rice. 50 years later, nothing is growing and most of the water is wasted.
2650-29: N 46° 06,453' E 060° 46,115' . While the main Aral sea seems to be abandonned, water is coming back in the little one, with an average depth that is now 38 m compared to 30 m 5 years ago.
2650-22: N 43° 13,701' E 067° 46,730' . Most of the channels are abandonned, even if the water is still flowing, for nothing except evaporation. 2650-23: N 44° 37,145' E 065° 54,275' .
2650-30: N 46° 35,383' E 061° 15,397'. After going away 50 km from the port of Aralsk, water is now "only" 30 km from its previous shore. 2650-31: N 46° 49,054' E 061° 37,941' . Between 1960 and 2000, the Aral sea lost 80% of its volume and 50% of its surface.
Salty meadows and heavy winds carrying pesticides made sustainable agriculture impossible for local people. 2650-32: N 46째 39,109' E 061째 11,114' . The lost of the Aral sea caused by overexploitation of Syr Daria waters is one of the major ecological catastrophies in the XXth century. Tens of thousands square miles of salty, full of pesticides and insecticides soils have been left.