PROJECTS

On cotton processing in Uzbekistan, the disappearance of Aral Lake and our everyday choices.

The Fergana Valley, with its rich history as a significant cotton-producing region, has played a pivotal role in shaping Uzbekistan’s cotton industry. Since the era of the Soviet Union, cotton cultivation has been a focal point, turning the valley into a key contributor to the global cotton market.

Uzbekistan continues to be among the world’s top producers of cotton and The Fergana Valley maintains its crucial role in Uzbekistan’s cotton production, with a substantial number of individuals engaged in both the cultivation and processing of cotton.

In the cotton industry of Fergana valley, cotton dyeing and knitting maintain a unique blend of traditional craftsmanship and manual techniques. Notably, many factories in these areas continue to carry out these processes entirely by hand, devoid of extensive mechanization. Skilled artisans engage in the meticulous art of dyeing cotton, employing both natural and synthetic dyes to achieve an array of vibrant colors. The subsequent knitting phase also often relies on the dexterity of human hands. Skilled workers manually weave and knit the dyed cotton into intricate patterns, showcasing a level of precision and artistry that mechanized processes might struggle to replicate. 

However, the environmental impact of intensive cotton farming in the Fergana Valley is notable. The Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth-largest lake, has experienced a staggering decline, losing over 90% of its water volume since the 1960s. This catastrophic environmental shift stems from the ambitious Soviet plan to divert the waters of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for extensive irrigation projects, primarily to cultivate cotton in the arid regions of Uzbekistan, including the fertile Fergana Valley. 

To this day, Uzbekistan exports its cotton to a diverse array of countries, contributing to the textile industries worldwide. The primary destinations for Uzbek cotton include China, where the textile sector heavily relies on imported raw cotton. Uzbekistan’s cotton is also a vital resource for Bangladesh, a major hub in the global textile industry, and Turkey, renowned for its textile and apparel sector. Beyond these major destinations, Uzbek cotton may find its way to various other countries with growing textile industries or companies in need of raw cotton for their manufacturing processes.

Our planet appears to be enormously large, but maybe it’s just an illusion. How far apart are Uzbekistan, Europe, China? How many kilometers separate the center of Europe from The Aral Sea? In my personal experience, it can take up to eight weeks by land… But there are connections that are hidden behind the curtain and invisible at first sight.  We are more interconnected than is apparent at a glance. What am I wearing today? Our daily choices sometimes cross national and continental borders and can be more far-reaching than we can actually recognise. And it’s up to each of us to decide how we approach them. What is important is to be mindful of the links  – action and reaction, cause and effect – and to look beyond the first horizon.