Saving the Aral sea

The wrong strategy of economic development pursuing the goal of one‐sided expansion of water‐consuming cotton and rice monoculture has led to heavy withdrawals of river flow for irrigation. Consequently, as a result of diminishing inflow, the Aral Sea began to shrink in volume and area and is now on the verge of total collapse. The tragedy can be averted if recommendations of the recently elaborated concept for conservation and restoration of the sea are realized without any delay. This could save the sea as a productive water body and normalize the socio‐economic, ecological and medical situation in the Aral region.