http://distributedrepublic.net/archives/2007/05/01/ecocide-the-murder-of-the-aral-sea
Was shocked to come across this link. As a child, I remember Aral being a prominent feature on the world map.. and now it’s almost gone. All because of human miscalculation and not foreseeing such possible large scale disasters. Tragic.
What’s especially disparaging is that officials knew something was wrong back in the early 70’s, and nothing was done to mitigate the effects. Some restorative measures are currently underway to raise and sustain the level in the Northern section of the depleted Aral, but at the cost of the Southern portion which will inevitably dry up and become a desert. Truly tragic.