This region includes the basins of Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers, and the smaller rivers flowing from the western Tyan-Shan mountains. In administrative terms this region includes Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan, Kisilorda and Chimkent regions of Kazakhstan, Dashkhovuz velayat of Turkmenistan, and Osh and Naryn regions of Kyrgyzstan.

Analyses of the ecological situation in the Aral Sea basin shows ecological stability before the beginning of the 1960's. The total area of the sea was 66,000 square kilometers and its capacity was approximately 1,066 cubic kilometers. Mineralization of water fluctuated between 10 and 12 percent, the water level during the last 200 years was stable at 53 meters, plus or minus one meter, above sea level.

However, from the early 1960s, the state of natural environment in the Aral basin sharply deteriorated and is now an "ecological disaster zone". One of the reasons is probably the expansion of the area of agriculture under irrigation during the 1960's and 1970's.

The accelerated degradation of the land and coastal areas has led to a rapid deterioration in the quality of the environment and to an increase in morbidity and mortality rates among the population. The principal methods of developing the Aral Sea basin should be directed toward solving social problems as well as preserving, and improving the environment.

Caspian Sea water washes the beaches and shorelines of five countries: Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. It is the largest continental body of water on the planet, and has unique flora and fauna surviving from ancient times including the largest shoal of sturgeon in the world. Fishery, sea freight, and hydrocarbon extraction in the coastal areas and on the sea shelves, and large recreational facilities define the social and economic importance of the Caspian Sea. It also plays a valuable role in climate formation. The large amount of water vapor released into the air provides humidity to the central Asian deserts.

The geological history of the Caspian sea is characterized by hydrological instability - periodic and random rises and falls in the level of water. Recent increase in the sea level, starting in 1978 from 26.5 meters up to 29.0 meters now, have caused and will continue to exert a negative impact on the environment of the entire water basin area, including the Turkmen shorelines of the Caspian Sea. Today, Dervish, in the south, is detached from the western coast of the mainland, and is turning into an island due to the rise in the sea level. The town of Cheleken and Karakul village are sinking into the water as well. The rising level of the sea water may potentially flood the oil and gas deposits, and hence infrastructures and communication facilities along the Caspian seashore need to be adjusted. Gradual flooding has precipitated abrasive erosion of sea shelves. Therefore, measures must be developed to prevent seawater pollution by oil products kept in the storages and oil wells all along the coast. The measures will also save the biological resources of the Caspian Sea. It is necessary that comprehensive measures be adopted to reduce the loss from the rise in the sea level.

The human impact on the changes in natural ecological system of the Caspian Sea is approaching a critical level, and the absence of urgent measures could lead to a tragedy similar to the Aral Sea and the Aral basin. However, the Caspian Sea has some potential for self-corrections. Further expansion of drilling on existing and prospective oil fields in the Caspian basin should be reconsidered. The current need to provide countries with energy products should not override considerations of the environmental safety of the Caspian sea basin.

Analysis of the present situation shows that a substantial area will be flooded if the level of the Caspian continues to rise. Houses and industrial plants, railways and highways will soon be within the flood zone. As a result of the increases in the subsoil water level there will be an increase of seismic activity on the order of 1 to 1.5 points on the seismic scale which may cause landslides in the newly formed shorelines.

In spite of the fact that the damages from natural disasters are localized, they increase social tension throughout the country and natural phenomena such as earthquakes, landslides, land slips, mud slides, avalanches and dust storms are widespread in the mountainous areas of Central Asia, including Turkmenistan. Powerful earthquakes that resulted in destruction and caused a number of deaths occurred in 1895, 1929, 1946, 1948, 1983 and 1985 in the country.

The high level of seismic activity in the southern mountain area of Turkmenistan creates the possibility of landslides and land slips, and short rains in the mountains cause high water levels in both large and small rivers. Such floods occur two or three times every ten years. Other meteorological disasters include storms, dust winds, heavy showers and mud slides. Storms are registered along the coastal area of the Caspian sea, in the passage between Bolshoi and Maly Balkhans, and between Maly Balkhans and Western Kopet-Dag. Often (up to 35 days per year) the "afganetz" winds blow along the upper reaches of Amudarya river. Central Karakum desert is often exposed to dust storms (up to 146 days per year). Unusually severe dust storms were registered in Turkmenistan in 1953, 1968, 1975 and in 1985, when the wind speed reached 35 meters per second, and horizontal visibility fell to one meter.

On June 20, 1998 at 12 hours 25 minutes UT (17 hours 25 minutes of local time) the large stone meteorite has fallen in Dashkhovuz velayat, in the point locating to the south from 5 kilometers of ancient Kunya-Urgench town. Geographical coordinates of the area of its falling are 42^o15' of north and 59^o12'of east.

The falling of the meteorite in air was accompanied by bright luminescence, roar, crash and singing. Along flight trajectory of the meteorite trace of smoke was derived. During impact of the meteorite to ground the oscillations of ground by radius of 100 kilometers were felt.

The meteorite flied from the south-east to north-west along slanting trajectory. Its radiant was in the Virgo constellation. Definition of elements of orbits for the meteorite has shown, that it has arrived from the asteroid belt. Orbit of the meteorite is typical for asteroids of the Apollo group.