One of the world's worst environmental disasters The Aral Sea
65The once thriving Aral Sea is now a desert
The Aral Sea a environmental disaster beyond belief
At one time the Aral Sea was the world's fourth-largest lake. Now the Aral Sea is one of the planet's worst environmental disasters.
The Aral Sea has shrunk by 90 per cent and that shrinkage has destroyed the fishing economy and left fishing trawlers stranded in salty and sandy waste land. The sea shrank due to a project by the Soviet Union to boost cotton production in the region.
Competition in the region for water is heated and because even hotter with global warming and population growth.
This once beautiful body of water is now a desert full of old shipwrecks.
Shripwrecks and reminders of a once economically stable Port
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I learnt about this place on "lonely planet" show, this is indeed very shameful for human beings that they are disturbing the precarious balance between wildlife and nature. Many fish species might have been extinct following the drying up of this sea. However on the other side, the scenery is great , I mean, it reminds me of the scene in pirates of caribbean 3 in which captain jack sparrows is seen as pulling a large ship midst of desert.
By the way, have you visited this place, are these pics taken by you?
Actually several of the photos were sent to me by a close friend who went there as an environmental activist :)
OK, given a chance I would like to visit the aral sea. I also read that now efforts are being made to re hydrate aral sea once again, by diverting sea water towards aral sea.
poetvix Level 7 Commenter 4 months ago
What a waste. The pictures really bring home the full impact. Good job!