The two largest lakes of Uzbekistan are the Sudochye and Arnasai. Over the last 30 years the level of the Aral Sea has decreased by 12 - 14 meters and the shoreline has eroded away by tens of kilometers. The surface area has decreased by almost five times. The streams of warm and humid air originating above the Aral Sea previously created a natural obstacle for the air going south from Russia and Kazakhstan. With this obstacle destroyed, nothing can prevent the cold air from rushing to the Central Asian states and bringing unexpected hail and heavy showers to the farmlands.
Thunderstorms can happen now even in midsummer and create huge losses.
All of this reduces the vegetation period of heat-loving crops and creates many complications. The worsening ecological environment of the Aral Sea and adjacent areas is affecting the human health and birthrate. It is not a local problem, but one of global scale. No single state can resolve it independently. It is a constant concern of all of Central Asia that will continue to have devastating affects if not dealt with right away.