Overview

• Climate change accelerates the Aral Sea's decline, severely impacting local livelihoods.
• The Aral Sea, once one of the world's largest inland bodies of water, has shrunk to less than a quarter of its size.
• Efforts to save the sea, including a successful dike project in Kazakhstan, have had mixed results.
• Residents face increased health risks from toxic dust storms and struggle with water scarcity for agriculture.
• The discovery of oil and gas in the Aral's former seabed suggests limited interest in restoration by Uzbekistan.