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Aral Sea Disappearing

Posted by michael on from the poof dept.

W33dz writes "The BBC is reporting today that the Aral Sea on the border of the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan has lost half its size and 75% of its volume in the last 15 years. The article includes some stunning pictures from both NASA and the new European Space Agency's Envisat satellite. This seems especially poignant since the US Government is hosting a summit on a proposed International Earth Observation System in Washington this month (BBC article). The meeting is intended to defend much of the Bush Administration's environmental policy and has an amazing guest list filled with the Who's Who of US politics."

3 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. It's not natural by crow · · Score: 0, Redundant

    It's due to excessive draw on the rivers that feed the sea for irrigation. According to the article, the much of the water is actually wasted due to poor-quality irrigation systems.

  2. Re:If it's a natural..... by avalys · · Score: 0, Redundant

    If you would've read the actual article, you would know that they're placing the blame on the badly implemented irrigation system which takes water from the rivers that feed the Aral Sea.

    Large scale irrigation began in the 1960s and has led to the Aral losing half its area and three-quarters of its volume.

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  3. Bush? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Redundant

    What does Bush or his policies have to do with a sea in Asia that started to disappear 10 years before he came to office?