A vast new lake has appeared in Uzbekistan’s Kyzylkum Desert following months of unusually heavy rainfall and large-scale water management efforts, creating a striking new landscape in one of Central Asia’s driest regions.

The newly formed reservoir covers approximately 80 square kilometers and is located north of the town of Gazli in the Peshku district of the Bukhara region, on a previously barren desert area known as Shurbulak, The Caspian Post reports via Xorazmbugun.

Experts say the lake emerged after rainfall over the past six months reached nearly three times the historical average. At the same time, water infrastructure projects carried out by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Water Resources helped channel groundwater into the area through a 126-kilometer collector canal system.

The combination of record precipitation and increased water inflow led to the rapid accumulation of water, transforming the desert landscape into a massive new body of water.

By size, the lake is comparable to some of Uzbekistan’s largest hydrological sites, including the famous Charvak Reservoir, and is significantly larger than the area of the city of Bukhara itself.

Environmental experts say the unexpected lake could bring both opportunities and challenges. While it may create new habitats for wildlife and support biodiversity, it could also alter local water balances and have long-term ecological consequences for the surrounding region.