Restoring Life to Aralkum: Battling the Aftermath of Environmental Disaster | SLICE EARTH | FULL DOC

When a desert replaces a sea, the ecological balance of an entire region is destabilized. Youngest of the world's deserts, Aralkum is the result of an ecological catastrophe, which has led to the almost complete disappearance of the Aral Sea.

The silhouettes of ghost ships, shells bleached by the sun and a thick crust of salt covering the ground in places, are the only vestiges of its presence. Moonscapes and sand dunes now cover a surface of 50,000 km², which was under 20 meters of water in 1970. Can humans repair such a natural disaster, one caused by their own acts?

Scientists are studying closely the climatic and environmental upheavals caused by the appearance of this new desert. They are also trying to undertake actions which will stop the growth of the desert and bring back life where possible. While they all believe that the initial natural balances will never be restored, they are fighting to build new forms of balance.

Documentary: Planet Sand – Episode 3: Aralkum, the Youngest Desert in the World (2016)
Direction: Thierry Berrod, Paul-Aurélien Combre, Pierre-François Gaudry & Quincy Russell
Production: Mona Lisa Productions

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