The Aral Sea used to be the 4th largest inland sea in the world. It supported the livelihoods of many Kazakh and Uzbek villagers by providing water for farming and fishing. In the 1960’s two rivers that fed it were diverted by the Soviets to feed cotton fields. It has since shrunk to half its size. The entire area has become a poisoned dustbowl where camels wander through chemical-covered plains in the skeletal shadows of forgotten boats; where crops are destroyed by wind-blown salt and the only significant fishing company left in the area has its fish shipped from the Baltic Sea, thousands of kilometers away.

This BBC Worldwide video takes you on a ride through the Aral Sea bed and serves as a reminder to the importance of proper water management and conservation.

[Via: BBC Worldwide]