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“Trouble in the Land of Oz.” That is what started it all.

Central Asian nations all gained their independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Unfortunately, with their independence, they also inherited many environmental problems. By far, the most pervasive issue is the shrinking of the Aral Sea. The enormity of the environmental crisis of the Aral Sea has been attested by environmentalists both in Central Asia and in other parts of the world. In this chapter, the broad scope of the disaster is set forth along with its principle causes. An overview of the geography and water supply in the region is given. And the daunting challenge of cross boundary impact and thus need for multinational cooperation is discussed. The challenge in the region today is twofold. First, it must address the Aral Sea disaster. And second, it must create the conditions to sustainably manage transboundary water resources to head off new catastrophe.

This chapter addresses the need for groundwater resource management in the arid and semiarid zones of Uzbekistan, broadly and specifically the potential to prolong the functional life of water wells by rehabilitating capacity and developing new methods and devices for cleaning and protecting well filter screens. The urgency of this concern is felt most deeply in areas lacking potable water, most notably the larger Aral region. If achieved, the result will facilitate access to adequate supplies of potable water in a region where the surface waters are seriously depleted and polluted. Springs that once bubbled to the surface to form oases were surrounded by life in the desert. Perhaps reliable water wells are the basis of tomorrow's new oases.

During our visit to the Aral Region, our exchange team had a lengthy meeting with a former Karakalpak leader, Ubbiniyaz A. Ashirbekov. Director of the Executive Committee, Nukus Branch, International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. As we sat in his cramped office in Nukus, he pointed in despair to the bookshelves on his wall, filled to the ceiling with multiple millions of dollars of studies of how to address the Aral disaster. The sea level had fallen and in its place there rose a pile of books. If only they could have been employed to dam the remaining waters they might have served some utility. Much as the Soviets before them, those designing solutions to the region's problems think big. A big disaster requires a big solution with big impacts and a very big budget. But, perhaps a big disaster requires many small solutions instead, each designed to mesh with the others but not so interdependent that the failure of one brings down the lot.

Map 1. Map of Uzbekistan and Surrounding Area