Cotton Slaves

White Gold – Dying Sea

White Gold – Dying Sea
Frauke Huber, Uwe H. Martin

Chemical use and excessive irrigation of cotton fields in Central Asia turned the fertile paradise of the Aral Sea into a chemically polluted salt desert. The decline continues in the south, where Uzbekistan forces its population to work the cotton fields. 

According to the WWF the production of 1 kg of cotton uses 7,000 to 29,000 liters of water because three-quarters of cotton grows under irrigation in dry, warm countries. Cotton growing is directly implicated in the degradation of large-scale ecosystems including the Aral Sea in Central Asia.

Where only 50 years ago the worlds 4th largest lake guaranteed a mild climate, a chemical polluted salt dessert remains. Sandstorms raise the poisonous dust of the plain into the air and contribute heavily to worldwide air pollution. The salt blown to the Pamir Knot melts the mountains’ glaciers, putting Central Asia’s water supply at peril.

While the large southern Aral Sea keeps shrinking there is some hope to restore the smaller northern Aral Sea. Irrigation works on the Syr Darya have been repaired and improved to increase its water flow, and in August 2005 a concrete dam was completed, separating the two halves of the Aral Sea. Since then the water level of the North Aral has risen, and its salinity has decreased. The restoration reportedly gave rise to long absent rain clouds and possible microclimate changes.

prev next
prev media

  • All over Uzbekistan hundreds of thousand university students and schoolchildren are forced to work during the cotton harvest. 

    The government strictly organizes the transports into the cotton fields. Only for medical reasons students are spared from the hard labor, so the going rate for the medical form rises to about 150 $US.  

  • Cotton is the backbone of Uzbekistan’s economy and accounts for a third of the countries foreign exchange income. 

    With about 4 million tons annually Uzbekistan is the third largest exporter of cotton after the United States. Cotton is the backbone of Uzbekistan’s regime and also its environmental curse. The cotton plants are carefully guarded not only from terrorists but also from journalists – which is basically the same in the eye of the regime of President Islam Karimov. 

  • Gigantic posters advertise cotton. Contrary to the advertisement most cotton is hand picked as forced labor is cheaper than maintaining machines.

    Gigantic posters advertise cotton. Contrary to the advertisement most cotton is hand picked as forced labor is cheaper than maintaining machines.

  • During the cotton harvest the government organizes all available transportation to bring the students to the fields all around the country.

    During the cotton harvest the government organizes all available transportation to bring the students to the fields all around the country.

  • A young boy waits in his room for his call of duty in the cotton fields.

    A young boy waits in his room for his call of duty in the cotton fields.

  • A young boy harvests cotton in Uzbekistan. School children as young as eight are forced to work in the cotton fields for three month annually.

    A young boy harvests cotton in Uzbekistan. School children as young as eight are forced to work in the cotton fields for three month annually.

  • The irrigation needed to keep the level of cotton high, drains the rivers and turns the soil to desert. 

    On every cotton field an average four meters of water is needed during the year to grow the cotton. But only half of this water is needed for growing the plants; the other half is used to wash the salt of the last season away from the soil.

  • A girl protects her arms against the sharp edges of the cotton plants.

    A girl protects her arms against the sharp edges of the cotton plants.

  • Early in the morning students get ready to harvest cotton. The shift ends when it is getting dark.

    Early in the morning students get ready to harvest cotton. The shift ends when it is getting dark.

  • Irrigation canals connect the rivers to the cotton fields in the desert. Most off the water is lost through evaporation before it reaches the fields.

    Irrigation canals connect the rivers to the cotton fields in the desert. Most off the water is lost through evaporation before it reaches the fields.

z
next media

Cotton Slaves

In Usbekistan cotton is the backbone of the economy. The industry is kept alive by slave labor and excessive irrigation. 

Cotton Slaves
Artist/Author: Uwe H. Martin Frauke Huber


With about 4 million tons annually Uzbekistan is the third largest exporter of cotton after the United States. Cotton accounts for a third of the countries foreign exchange income. It is the backbone of Uzbekistan’s economy and regime and also its environmental curse. The irrigation needed to keep the level of cotton high, drains the rivers and turns the soil to desert. On every cotton field an average four meters of water is needed during the year to grow cotton. But only half of this water is needed for growing the plants; the other half is used to wash the salt of the last season away from the soil.

The regime of president Islam Karimov forces hundred thousands students and school children as young as eight to work in the cotton fields for three month annually.