January 20, 2026

IMarEST Journey to Aral Sea Will Uncover Lessons from Central Asia’s Water Crisis

The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) has awarded its David Henderson Inspiring Journey grant to Cadet Mohd Emaad Khan, from the Indian Maritime University in Kolkata. His expedition across Uzbekistan’s Aral Sea basin will uncover the lessons marine professionals can learn from one of the world’s most catastrophic ecological collapses.

According to the United Nations, the Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth-largest inland sea, has shrunk to less than half its former size due to climate change and mismanagement.

This July, Emaad will set out to on his journey to tell the complicated water story in the region and will gather important information for the next generation of marine professionals. Setting out from Charvak Reservoir near Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, he will share his insights through a video series and social media updates.

At the reservoir, Emaad will examine how modern water management creates artificial maritime environments, before heading to Samarkand, where Silk Road traders once relied on water routes for global commerce.

Following the Amu Darya River, he will then document how this once-mighty artery sustained the Aral Sea but now struggles under agricultural demand. In Khiva, he will explore how this oasis city adapted to shifting water availability, offering lessons in resilience and survival.

This journey will lead him to Moynaq, home to ship graveyards where rusting vessels lie stranded in desert sands. Here, he will engage with former fishing communities whose maritime livelihoods vanished within a generation. Emaad’s journey will conclude at Aydarkul Lake, an artificial body created from redirected drainage, a new lake born from the death of another.

Follow Emaad’s expedition once it’s underway on the IMarEST social channels.