Constructing the Karakum Canal: The Urbanization of Soviet Turkmenistan and the Aral Sea Crisis

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2026.1.09

Published

2026-02-21

Issue

Water & Heritage for Sustainable Development

Section

methodologies and case studies

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Copyright (c) 2025 Estere Cvilikovska

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Constructing the Karakum Canal: The Urbanization of Soviet Turkmenistan and the Aral Sea Crisis. (2026). Blue Papers, 156–65. https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2026.1.09

Keywords:

irrigation system, ecosystem thinking, USSR, Turkmenistan, cross-border governance

Abstract

The collapse of the Aral Sea ecosystem is regarded as one of the most devastating environmental tragedies in history. Primarily driven by Soviet-era irrigation practices aimed at expanding agriculture in Central Asia’s arid regions, the catastrophe has had lasting ecological and socioeconomic consequences. To address the repercussions of past actions, it is essential to move beyond perceiving water as a “national” resource: It cannot be fully comprehended or effectively managed within national borders. An ecosystem-based approach can help divert from a technologically and economically based mono-functional value system, promoting possibilities for sustainable development in the region.

Author Biography

  • Estere Cvilikovska, Delft University of Technology

    Estere Cvilikovska is a second-year student in the master’s degree track in architecture at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at TU Delft. In the Architectural History Thesis course, she conducted research on the perception of water and its effects on the development of cities in Soviet Turkmenistan.

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