A documentary entitled Amu Darya: Missing to the River has been produced as part of Project Amu Darya. This initiative began in 2022, and is a collaboration between students from Karakalpakstan, Khorezm, and Oxford University in the UK.

This research is important for several reasons. Firstly, the Aral Sea crisis, which is one of the most severe man-made ecological disasters in history, is under-reported by the global media. Secondly, the academic field is limited – outside of Uzbekistan, the historiography of the Aral crisis is still a developing field. Thirdly, the geographical scope of research is limited. Research is often focused on the Aral Sea itself, and does not take into account the impact on the wider region. Finally, there is no involvement of stakeholders. The personal experiences of those living along the Amu Darya River are often excluded from studies.

Amu Darya: Missing to the River screening – image: TCA, Sadokat Jalolova

The Amu Darya is one of the two main rivers feeding the Aral Sea. Irrigation in the Amu Darya basin has been carried out for more than three thousand years. However, the current Aral Sea crisis was caused by mismanagement during the Soviet and post-Soviet eras.

International donors have intensified their efforts to address the crisis. By December 2022, the UN Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region had raised over $16 million to support communities affected by the disaster. Established in 2018, the fund helps mitigate the environmental and social consequences of the crisis. President Mirziyoyev’s government has also lifted many data restrictions, allowing more research in the region. In 2017, the United Nations conducted the first socioeconomic survey of Aral Sea communities.

Aralkum Desert, former Aral Sea; image: TCA, Sadokat Jalolova

Central Asian countries are also cooperating to solve the problem of water level reduction in the Aral Sea. This year, as a result of the introduction of water-saving technologies on 55,000 hectares of rice fields in Kazakhstan, more than 200 million cubic meters of water were directed to the Aral Sea.

The Times of Central Asia spoke with Annie Liddell, one of Project Amu Darya’s co-founders. She shared her thoughts about the inspiration behind the documentary. According to Liddell, the team were inspired by Svetlana Alexievich’s book Voices of Chernobyl. The author used oral interviews to highlight the personal stories behind the environmental disaster, making it more relatable. Liddell explained that the film aims to preserve the authenticity of interviewees’ voices and connect their stories of the Amu Darya’s past with the reality of its present state, which is a rapidly spreading desert.

Local communities played a central role in the film’s creation. Students from Karakalpak State University and Urgench State University contributed to the research. Residents of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm also shared their personal stories, and provided insights into their culture and stability.

Image: Project Amu Darya

The documentary depicts different historical periods and personal experiences. It covers the period of Zoroastrianism, early Russian history, and events from the 1930s to the present day. The team spoke with interviewees of widely-differing ages, including a 94-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl. These stories highlight the differences between generations in how people in the Amu Darya delta view water and environmental issues.

Liddell hopes the documentary will raise awareness about the impact of human activities in environmental problems. “Many people in the Aral Sea Region are not aware or are reluctant to talk about the fact that the Aral Sea Crisis was caused by unsustainable water management,” she noted; “but if we do not address this fact, we cannot combat ongoing water management problem.”

The team has ambitious plans for the future, and hopes to use the documentary, along with other resources, to improve communication and youth education on the crisis. “We are working to expand our project’s work to create a multimedia educational toolkit on climate change in the Aral Sea Region,” Liddell told TCA. “A big issue surrounding the Aral Sea Crisis is that few people in Uzbekistan – especially young people – have access to information or education about the crisis.”

The documentary also captures voices from the region. Reflecting on the loss of the Aral Sea, former fisherman Oralbay Otegenov explained that the sea once provided ample fish for local consumption and export, but now it has become a desert. “After the Aral Sea dried up, the irrigation canals also dried up. Now, if you look at the river’s breadth, it’s all desert. If the Aral Sea still existed, we would catch a lot of fish for Uzbekistan and export them to other places, too. Now, there is nothing,” said Otegenov.

Oralbay Otegenov; image: TCA, Sadokat Jalolova

The Aral Sea produced 30% of Soviet catch in the 1920s, and saved Russia from widespread famine.

Drastic changes have since harmed the ecosystem, threatening many fish species, including three unique species of sturgeon. The loss of such species has disrupted the natural balance and affected the livelihoods of the local communities which previously depended on fishing. To revive fisheries, the European flounder was introduced, but the ecosystem is now on the verge of collapse, with the fishing industry decimated, causing job losses and economic difficulties.

Seventeen-year-old Aynura expressed concerns about the health impacts of air pollution in the area. Yusup Kamalov, chair of the Union for Defense of the Aral Sea and Amu Darya, highlighted inequalities in the use of water use, detailing how upstream users pollute the water, leaving downstream communities to drink poison. “We have discrimination, not by race, not by nations, but we have discrimination by geographical location,” Kamalov stated.

Project Amu Darya is a testament to the urgent need to eliminate the negative impact of the Aral Sea crisis on humans and the environment.

The team plans to hold further screenings of the documentary in Uzbekistan, starting in February 2024.