Wetland Changes in Lower Syrdarya Region, Aral Sea and Evaluation of the Rehabilitation by Dam Construction using Satellite Images

Abstract

The shrinkage of Aral Sea has teld to the decline of wetland ecosystems in lower Syrdarya region. One of the rehabilitation approaches was conducted by the dam construction between Small and Great Aral Sea in 2005. We aimed to evaluate the fluctuation of the wetlands before and after the new dam completion. We analyzed satellite images from 1999 to 2006 based on ground truth data and depicted the wetland area and the NDVI. Comparing variables of wetland; area, length of surrounding, averaged NDVI, sum of NDVI and length of adjacent water in each year, it is appeared that all values of each variable are decreased from 1999 to 2004. On the contrary, they are increased in 2006, and averaged NDVI and LAW is increased remarkably. The ecosystem of the wetland been rehabilitated after the durable dam completion, and there is a possibility to recover the biodiversity.