The Aral Sea is a large, shallow, saline lake hidden in the remote deserts of the republics of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the south-central region of the former Soviet Union. Once the world's fourth largest lake in area (smaller only than America's Lake Superior, Siberia's Lake Baikal, and East Africa's Lake Victoria), in 1960 the Aral Sea had a surface area of 26,250 mi² (68,000 km²), and a volume of 260 cu mi (1,090 cu km). Its only water sources are two large rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya. Flowing northward from the Pamir Mountains on the Afghan border, these rivers pick up salts as they cross the Kyzyl Kum and Kara Kum deserts. Evaporation from the landlocked sea's surface (it has no outlet) makes the water even saltier.

The Aral Sea's destruction began in 1918 when plans were made to draw off water to grow cotton, a badly needed...