地理漫步·世界地理英语30篇（4）
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The Aral Sea: A Human-Made Environmental Crisis
咸海：人为造成的环境危机
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Once the world’s fourth-largest lake, the Aral Sea shrank by 90% after Soviet irrigation diversions.
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Cotton farming in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan consumed almost all inflow from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers.
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Exposed seabed released toxic dust containing pesticides and salt, worsening respiratory illness.
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Fisheries collapsed, leaving former port towns like Moynaq stranded 100 km from water.
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The North Aral Sea partially recovered after Kazakhstan built a dam and restored flows.
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South Aral Sea remains largely dry, though small wetlands support migratory birds in spring.
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Remote sensing shows new shrubs colonizing former lakebeds, stabilizing some soils.
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Farmers now test drip irrigation and salt-tolerant cotton varieties to reduce water demand.
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UN-backed education programs teach children about watershed stewardship and historical ecology.
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Regional water-sharing treaties remain fragile amid growing competition for dwindling supplies.