Aral Sea (Central Asia)

Description

Lying on the borders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea is a symbol: a testimony to the impact of humans on the environment. Once a rich fishery, ringed by fishing villages, the Aral Sea is now only a shadow of its past. Since the 1960s, the rivers which flowed into it have been diverted to irrigate cotton fields. The sea has lost 60 % of its surface area and its southern portion may have disappeared completely in 15 years.