Aral Sea 1964
In the 1960s, the Aral Sea was the 4th largest lake in the world. But because the two major rivers feeding it have been diverted away for nearly 40 years, the lake is disappearing.
Aral Sea 1973
The rivers now irrigate millions of acres of land for cotton and rice, but an ecological disaster is occurring for the Aral Sea and its human neighbors.
Aral Sea 1987
The Aral Sea is now half its original size, and the salinity content has increased from 10% to more than 23%. The local fishing industry has been devastated as the fish have died off.
Aral Sea 1999
The exposed lake bed is prone to massive dust storms, blowing up to 75,000 tons of soil, salt, and pesticide residue each year across the land.
Respiratory conditions are common throughout the area, and inhabitants say the overall climate is hotter and drier than ever before.
Abandoned fishing boats now lie on dry sands miles from the receding shore.
With the fishing industry gone, abandoned boats sit miles away from the ever shrinking sea.
