Leiden University Student Repository

Stevens, Imogen (2019)

Reassessing the Aral Sea’s Disappearance: Why Blaming the Soviet System Misses the Bigger Picture

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

The Aral Sea is often seen as a problem unique to the Soviet Union. However, many scholars fail to address the similarities between the Soviet system and others, especially that of the USA. This thesis examines the similarities between the Aral Sea disaster and other environmental disasters that occurred in the USA during the Cold War. It demonstrates that the USSR was not alone in their treatment of nature, as underlying views of nature as an instrument to be exploited were also present elsewhere. The Cold War competition exacerbated the tendency of the systems to over-exploit nature, as each pushed their limits in an attempt to emerge superior. Colonial attitudes and power disparities that existed between centers and “uninhabited areas” in both the USA and USSR, led to compounded marginalization for those affected in sparsely populated areas. The slow violence present in all cases demonstrates the lack of attention given to the victims by the governments responsible for the...Show moreThe Aral Sea is often seen as a problem unique to the Soviet Union. However, many scholars fail to address the similarities between the Soviet system and others, especially that of the USA. This thesis examines the similarities between the Aral Sea disaster and other environmental disasters that occurred in the USA during the Cold War. It demonstrates that the USSR was not alone in their treatment of nature, as underlying views of nature as an instrument to be exploited were also present elsewhere. The Cold War competition exacerbated the tendency of the systems to over-exploit nature, as each pushed their limits in an attempt to emerge superior. Colonial attitudes and power disparities that existed between centers and “uninhabited areas” in both the USA and USSR, led to compounded marginalization for those affected in sparsely populated areas. The slow violence present in all cases demonstrates the lack of attention given to the victims by the governments responsible for the disasters. Placing the blame for the Aral Sea disaster entirely on the Soviet system not only obscures the global context of the disaster, but is potentially dangerous, as with the fall of the USSR, the chance of such a disaster occurring again did not disappear with it.Show less

Aral Sea

Cold War

USA

USSR

Slow Violence

Author

Stevens, Imogen

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Supervisors

Roberts, Flora

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en