Muynak to be turned into a center of world tourism

08 October 2017

Muynak to be turned into a center of world tourism.

The town of Muynak is one of the striking examples of the ecological disaster in the region. It was once the largest Karakalpakstan’s port and Aral Sea center of fishery. In 1963 it was given the status of a town, and within 15–20 years its population grew to over 100 thousand. By now its population has dropped by more than two-thirds; the scarce natural resources made many of its citizens to leave. The sea is dying, so is the city. As far back as the 1980s, Muynak fish cannery had to start using imported frozen Baltic sardines due to a considerable reduction of catch of local fish resources. When the sea began shrinking rapidly and its shores turned into wasteland, the people tried to keep their connection with the water. They built canals for their boats to get to the berths and warehouses. But soon it was clear that these efforts were useless: the sea was shrinking too fast. Formerly, on reaching Muynak the Amu Darya river used to be 3 kilometers wide, whereas today, even during its maximum flow, the width of the river does not exceed 300 meters. In some dry years the Amu Darya did not reach the town at all, and fresh drinking water had to be delivered to the city in helicopters.

In the center of Muynak there once was a memorial obelisk from which just 30 years ago one could observe a spectacular view – the sea surface stretching away to the horizon. Today, wherever you look, there is only a sprawling sand desert with rare clumps of saxaul. The area of the former port still displays huge concrete boxes of fish warehouses. The air still smells of fish, as if the last catch was processed there only yesterday. Where at one time there was a busy harbor today one can see only rusting hulks of abandoned fishing boats and big barges. Beached awkwardly in the desert sand and loess dust, stripped to the frames, they look like skeletons of giant sea animals thrown to the desert shore by tidal wave. Some of the sea boats have already been dismantled for scrap; some are still to be processed. But a few of them are in good condition and, as people say, will be able to sail and fish when the sea comes back.

Muynak has become a huge graveyard of ships. It is a tragic monument to the Aral Sea ecological disaster caused by man.