THE ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE OF THE ARAL SEA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE HEALTH OF THE ARAL SEA REGION POPULATION

Abstract

This article is devoted to the ecological challenges associated with the Aral Sea and to their detrimental impact on the health of the inhabitants of the Aral Sea region. It examines the key factors that led to the ecological crisis, in particular the inefficient management of the water resources of the Amudarya and the Syrdarya, as well as the consequences of the disappearance of the sea. Particular attention is paid to the issues of pollution, desertification and the shortage of clean drinking water, and to their direct influence on human health. The article lists the diseases that are widespread among the local population, such as respiratory diseases, anaemia, pathologies of the endocrine and genitourinary systems, as well as the problems of high maternal and child mortality.