Historical Problems of New Land Development and Reclamation in Khorezm and Karakalpakstan (1950–2000)

This abstract examines the socio-economic and ecological consequences of large-scale new land development and soil reclamation in the Khorezm oasis and the Republic of Karakalpakstan between 1950 and 2000. During the Soviet era, particularly from the 1950s to the 1980s, the lower reaches of the Amu Darya river underwent aggressive agricultural expansion aimed at achieving cotton independence. Millions of rubles were directed toward constructing major irrigation networks, such as the Tachiatash hydro-complex and the Tuyamuyun reservoir system. However, extensive irrigation without adequate drainage infrastructure triggered rapid groundwater rise, catastrophic secondary soil salinization, and accelerated the desiccation of the Aral Sea. Following independence in 1991, the region faced the severe burden of managing these inherited systemic crises under acute water scarcity. This study evaluates archival data, statistical reports, and historical monographs to analyze the structural failures of Soviet hydrodynamic engineering and its long-term impact on the region's agricultural sustainability.