Influence of the ecological crisis of the Aral Sea on the current state of higher water plants

Conducting research to establish the current state of higher aquatic plants in the conditions of Karakalpakstan is relevant. The lowering of the Aral Sea level, which began in the 1960s, led to the largest environmental crisis on the planet. The ecological crisis affected the entire region, and above all, the hydrographic network of the Amudarya delta. Due to the shortage of water resources in the Aral Sea region, the watering of the natural reservoirs of the Amudarya delta has sharply decreased. Currently, there are only about 10 lakes formed because of waste and collector-drainage waters, the share of natural lakes is only about 5 thousand hectares, and they are fed by wastewaters. Due to the unstable hydrological regime, the state of the water bodies of the delta zone of the Amudarya River has changed significantly at present time. First of all the deterioration of the hydrological regime has led to an increase in the salinity of many lakes and the disappearance of a large number of aquatic plants. This article provides an analysis of the current state of higher aquatic plants and recommended measures to restore environmental stability.