The Aral Sea: The Toxic Soviet Sea

[@geographicstravel]

Check out Curiosity Stream: go.thoughtleaders.io/1634420200211

[@crztank9298]

Do a an episode on the proper history between ireland and how england invaded and subjected us irish to 800 years of colonial oppression and ethnic cleansing

[@borrisg4972]

Curiosity Stream has an absurd amount of content in Optimum's Free On Demand section which is watchable even on a standard package that doesn't include the actual channel it's all on. Normally, if you do not have a channel in your subscription package, you cannot view its Free On Demand content.

[@michaelhowell2326]

Will you all at Geographics do a video on the Potola Palace? I would be tickled pink if so.

[@wrongsalvation8904]

I have a question for anyone, My year subscription to curiositystream is almost up, my question is since I'm already an existing customer would you guys still get the credit for it if I use the promo? I signed up last year and used the promo code for you guys and I wanted to make sure that you guys would still get credit from me for renewing it.

[@maxsweet7668]

Where's the chernobyl video lol

[@zylaaeria2627]

I really hope they keep the name "North Aral Sea" even though the southern half is entirely gone to serve as a reminder for future generations of the vast expanse of water that used to exist there & the mismanagement that was responsible for it's demise. I personally thought the Aral Sea was completely gone already. That last bit was really heartwarming to hear about. Really glad to hear that they were able to preserve at least a fraction of it.

[@MoriShep]

heartwarming for the north nation a death blow od indifference for the south cutting off water from a drought-stricken area, yes it restored one area however it likely speed along the deaths of many bellows...a half measure for one group over another

[@connorh2215]

Mori Shep from what I hear that if they did not that both would have eventually suffered equally but there really is no correct opinion there

[@neutronalchemist3241]

@@MoriShep The "south" is Uzbekistan, that had no intention (like it has no intention now) to allow the waters of Amu Darya to flow into the lake instead of growing cotton. In that situation, any amount of water from the northern Aral to the southern one, would have simply been vasted, and condemned both to death. A single river is simply not enough to sustain the entire lake.

[@martijnkosters9024]

Call it Vojakov Sea just to spite that man.

[@KingJohnMichael]

@@MoriShep lol no

[@davidrossington9756]

"Useless Evaporator" "Mistake of Nature" dont mind me, imma just add these to my insult toolbox

[@Bloated_Tony_Danza]

Here, take “resource absorber” too, it’ll come in handy

[@stevetreloar6602]

My personal favourite expression is, without any doubt; "dick smoker". If Simon lead with: "Stalin was an epic dick smoker" my life would closer to complete.

[@loonatticat]

“Re-spirit-tree disease” is sure to confound the worstest of enemies.

[@woodrowwwilson9540]

Ilir Kumi oh yeah that’s a good one! I like useless evaporator as well

[@promeneuzivotu117]

"Capitalis sea" to insult the whole world.

[@andriesgeyser5524]

Hats off to the Kazakhs for utilizing the money efficiently and surpassing expectations.

[@Reg101st]

That and trending new male swimwear, the Mankini.

[@kylo_ben]

Borat would be proud

[@harrypadarri6349]

xie4lu4duo1 It’s not that easy. There are (or were) two big rivers that flow into the Aral sea. The southern river doesn’t even reach the lake anymore. Without any river feeding it the southern part of the Aral sea was doomed. There’s only one way to recreate parts of it: Usbekistan has to find a way to save enough water so that Amu Darya reaches the area of the old lake and Kasachstan has to finish its plan for a higher damm. When the Northern lake is replenished some water will flow again and if the Amu Darya reaches the southern lake again it may grow.

[@sabrekai727]

@@industrialvectors Not true. There is still water flowing south, problem is its flowing into a vast shallow area and is evaporating. Look at the area in Google Earth. One stream from the dam, one from a natural river. The East Aral see is quite deep and shows a very dark blue, while the area south of the dam is almost a light green because it is so shallow.

[@Djaj2000]

Very nice

[@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo]

One of the saddest moment I've had was flying to Kyrgyzstan and seeing the beautiful Caspian Sea and then shortly after the dead, desolated, Aral Sea.

[@Ritz1256]

@Sad Life it's almost impossible for caspian sea to dry off

[@theflorgeormix]

Caspian " The Windy Sea "

[@coconutsmarties]

​@Investigative Audit b*llshit

[@assylzatnuraliyeva6353]

I’m so surprised that many people know Aral sea, at the same time even in Kazakhstan some people don’t know about it and its ecological problems. I was born in the small town near Aral Sea and every time when I meet people I tell them about it. The sea is far from the town right now, 2 hours by car, but before 1960s there was a beach in the town and people could just go fishing, sell fish and earn money for food. Unfortunately, human’s greed doesn’t know any borders that’s why nowadays people from Aral (small town) are suffering from consequences of this huge ecological catastrophe. Instead of the blue sea now there is a big saline. Also every second person has hypertonia and diabetic diseases. I hope people remember that during the World War II fishermen from Aral sent 14 wagons of fish to soldiers. I think it’s still possible to save at least one part of the Aral sea. We should protect the things which others didn’t appreciate.

[@infernosgaming8942]

I hope in the future the UN works to save and perhaps restore the Aral Sea, its so sad to see what was once such a beautiful oasis in Central Asia be destroyed by Soviet greed.

[@yespls6260]

@@infernosgaming8942 UN doesn't do sh*t ever

[@MISTAKEWASMADE4live]

I'm sure those soldiers who got those fish are eternally grateful, it's a shame the Soviet Union would end up damming the fishermen later on as Stalin was even worse then Hitler. I think that it's also important for high hazard areas like that Virus Lab and easy to remove contaminants to get cleaned up before attempting to refill the sea, otherwise the illnesses will continue. I think restoring the Aral Sea is everyone's responsibility, everyone would benefit from turning an extremely hazardous desert into a thriving oasis, and with the progress made in aquaculture you could definitely bring fish and other resources back into the area. The first step is to remove the cotton farmer's dependency on the river as they are equally if not more important then the "sea", from there finding the money and talent to remove whatever contaminants feasible to remove and then restore the flow of water. Unlike the Kazak portion which the sea was still very much alive when being restored the Uzbek portion is completely dried up, the soil itself is mostly sand, so it needs to be irrigated and have plant life form so the roots can strengthen the sand into soil, it wouldn't be the whole are, just enough for a starting point, and slowly fill the sea in from there, this would be a lot healthier then just routing the river straight into sand, but worst comes to worst routing the river straight into sand should be fine since the aforementioned takes a lot of time and resources. Money could be gained from lawsuits, charities and sponsorships(the church but I doubt they would bother with something like that), a lot of activism would help too. Talent is all over the world and I'm sure many people would give professional expertise like engineering and biology if their lodging and food is provided or pro bono since that is what they love doing, local labor and equipment like planes, excavators and water would be a lot harder, and working conditions could be abysmal but it shouldn't be anything too intense, I honestly don't know though hopefully it wouldn't be hard labor.

[@Scott_From_Maine]

In America, I read about it in National Geographic about 40 years ago.

[@aubreyhuff46]

Do you think its possible to save both, not necessarily open the gap that was closed off, but perhaps allowing a limited amount of water to flow while figuring out how to completely save the north. Basically a way to restore both at the same time? It may be possible but I'm sure it wouldnt be probable.

[@naan-oyobizniz3168]

Soviet Union: Relies on the water of the Aral Sea to contain their toxic weaponized plague. Also the Soviet Union: "F*** that lake tho"

[@Your_Mossad_Handler]

T. Bronx This is what happens when you try to have a government manage an entire economy. 90% of all politicians have absolutely no clue what they’re talking about, 9% have a basic idea but in too myopic of an area, and then 1% can see the big picture but their cold reality harshes their comrades’ buzzes so they’re sent to the gulags to die.

[@pattyk101]

@@Your_Mossad_Handler I am a teacher, so I must say this: harshes is not a word, and even if it was, it's not a verb.

[@precociousone4164]

@@pattyk101 I think maybe he left out the "n" meaning "harshens" which is a most surely a verb, being the third-person singular simple present indicative form of harshen. BTW, I'm not a teacher but I'm a very good iPhone, laptop, and desktop user and adept in searching for whatever i choose. I must confess I am a retired technical writer and the correct use of English language has always had an appeal to me. I daily see much misuse and have to force my self to resist the urge to correct it. Please forgive my replying to this. I'm sure it doesn't make the world a better place. It's so easy to leave out a letter or transpose two letters that i give most people the benefit of the doubt. Especially when I can easily decipher what they meant. I send my best wishes to you.

[@hanswurstusbrachialus5213]

And all other lands did better.... MOSTLY the US? muhahah..get wrecked..

[@daragildea7434]

@@Your_Mossad_Handler "harshes" is not a verb, it's not even a word Oh, I see someone else already said so.

[@oddlookinbloke8753]

"Patrolling the Aral Sea almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter"

[@PCLHH]

👍

[@Silentmissile]

you know I was hoping for more gambling when I got this assignment

[@ncrveteranranger1386]

Hover Dam, just thinking about it makes me nervous

[@swirrllfolfsky9803]

ave to ceasar!

[@samb9265]

True to *cae*Tsar :') lol

[@glenchapman3899]

So let me get this straightt. For about the cost of half a front line fighter plane, the North Aral sea was saved. Am I the only one wondering if we have our priorities right?

[@ShortVideosRUs]

You'd be surprised how relatively cheap and simple it is to reverse many climate catastrophes (thanks to banning CFC's for example, current projections estimate the ozone layer will be repaired by the 2030's in the Northern Hemisphere, and the 2060's in the Southern, for example). The main obstacle to stopping climate change is ignorance, arrogance, and complacency, which unfortunately seems to been in unlimited supply in 2020. As per usual, humanity will probably only put in a real effort to stop/reverse something once the worst of its effects start to be felt.

[@rodney2x48]

Saving the environment is vastly cheaper than destroying it, but big greedy fat cats don’t profit off of fixing and saving things, only destroying them. We will never save our planet due to all the corporate overlords who prefer making more money at the cost of leaving us with no water or food.

[@joekrafft7125]

we do

[@knyghtryder3599]

@@rodney2x48 so true so sad....

[@Forgenshoot]

They merely needed a dam. Not trying to diminish the scope of the accomplishment, but the specific opportunity here made this particularly efficient.

[@Feckinpaddy29]

You should really do one on the Salton sea in Southern California. It's a pretty amazing story . It was originally called the miracle in the desert but today it is widely considered to be one of the worst, man-made ecological disasters.

[@VisionaryGardener]

Owens Lake, California, is another one. A natural lake upon which an entire transport system of boats existed to move ore from mines in the area to mills and the market. Water from it was diverted to L.A. starting in 1913. As of 2022, the lake was almost entirely dry. The massive rain storms that hit California this spring caused water to have to be diverted back into Owens Lake to prevent catastrophic flooding in L.A. among other areas. Apparently, this summer, residents of Keeler (essentially the only remaining town from the era when the lake existed) saw the lake refill - not to pre-1913 levels, but enough that the lake could be explored by small boats or kayaks. Wildlife started to return. Of course, it won't last, but it's quite a story.

[@TommygunNG]

I remember in grade school in the '70s and early '80s seeing maps with the relatively small Aral Sea acting as the sidekick of the Caspian. In later years, with newer maps, the sea would be skipped on less-detailed maps, and sometimes even on maps with enough detail that it should have been included. At most, it was depicted as little more than a wide river. Finally, a few years ago, I got curious--and learned what had happened to Caspy's little buddy.

[@paulpreusser8193]

Imagine watching an entire ocean recede in your lifetime. Terrifying

[@sheslikeheroin93]

Sea mate. Not the same as an ocean

[@paulpreusser8193]

A sea is not always an ocean, but also an ocean is not always salty. For a massive lake, the term sea or ocean is used interchangeably. Also, the Aral is brackish, both salty and fresh, and many old maps has the Aral Sea listed as the Aral Ocean.

[@drosophilamelanogaster3957]

Nah ... it is called communism.

[@williamrodrigues8333]

Gotta love communism

[@paulpreusser8193]

@@busimagen well yeah. An ocean cannot grammatically or properly be a lake as we know it now. I guess the point I have is that even though it's not exactly perfect, the Aral Sea is commonly referred to as an ocean on old maps and by some of the local people, supported by nat. geo's interviews and other sources. Also when the waters really started to turn salty in the late 80s, the lake was to be stocked with saltwater fish, although we know how long that lasted

[@WilliamWallace-cl7js]

soviets: "let's build a bio weapon facility on that island. it's the perfect place. nothing can escape from there since it's surrounded by water" also soviets: "let's dry up all that water"

[@cocindaucocindau354]

If you were informed, yes the Soviet Union used the Aral Sea foe irrigation and the bringing of life in that Region, and yes, the Soviet Researchers saw the decease of water levels and the Tragedy it might bring, this is why at the start of the 1980s, the Soviet Union started the Project of Saving the Aral sea and by Building Channels and System for the revitalization of the Aral sea......Water quotas were introduced, non essential water usage was Banned and the Aral sea seemed to be saved......but then the Soviet Union was destroyed, and no Capitalist State cared for the Aral sea, the Project was cancelled and as never before, this sea was Ruined! This is why we see vast majority of Destruction after the Soviet Union, and not before!

[@dontworry1302]

@@cocindaucocindau354 It's not so much "No Capitalist State card for the Aral Sea" as much as it is they had more urgent issues. They had just gotten independence from a nation that had been falling apart for a decade. Ultimately the Soviet's may have tried, but it was far too late and there were far too many other problems growing.

[@cocindaucocindau354]

More than 80% of the total Destruction was made after the Destruction of the Soviet Union, and even the Soviet Revitalization Programs and Channels were later transformed in reverse water Channels for Cash Crop Productions....indeed it is a Modern Tragedy, but not because the Soviet Union. And no, the Soviet Union did not fall apart for more than one decade, but under the 1989-1991s Years. And also yes, no one cared for the Sea after the Destruction of the USSR, it is the truth which we see even Today......

[@margaretneanover6066]

They tried to rid themselves and others of nasty waste, bio . They had ask for certain help 50 years ago. The debate was talked , ended up burying before deactivating. The worry was if it evaporated, due the potency. I don't know if it is disturbed, but want to understand.

[@WilliamWallace-cl7js]

@@cocindaucocindau354 can you please inform me about the projects in the soviet union for revitalization of the Aral sea? the only thing I could find is the siberian river reversal which was already abandoned before the soviet union's collapse. Karimov, the president of Uzbekistan for 25 years after its independence, was already president of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. his policies furthered the shrinking of the souther part. if he was capitalist how come he was already in control before soviet union' collapse?

[@Nale_Ckleysho]

Uzbeks: Can we get some water over here? kazaks: Pool is closed

[@neutronalchemist3241]

Kazaks: What about allowing the Amu Darya to flow into the lake? Uzbeks: No, we need it for cotton.

[@azizayusupova3377]

@Neutron Alchemist Uzbeks didn't have choice to stop have cotton production at the beginning as while Uzb was part of USSR instead of educating the people they forced them to work on only in cotton production. So, after being independent government can't immediately stop cotton business as people could starve. However since 2016 it's has been dramatically decreasing

[@taitano12]

The long term goal is to reduce dependence on the feeder rivers enough to start filling the rest of the Aral Sea. This must be done responsibly. Shutting down all the cotton farms at once would cause economic collapse, and possible ecological damage as well; flooding the sea all at once, without first reestablishing life as you go, would leave you with a toxic, dead body of water, ripe for some unforseen disaster. It may not take quite as long to restore as it took to destroy, but we must proceed carefully and patiently as we restore the Aral Sea. We must make sure we know what we're doing. Remember it was the U.S.S.R. proceeding with selfish and reckless abandon that got us to this point in the first place.

[@grantlebsack1245]

Moose out front shoulda told ya

[@keremgulbin9142]

*Sorry, water machine broke.*

[@rayanderson5797]

This sounds like a place straight out of Mad Max. Sandy/salty deserts with old rusted ships sitting on dry land and the atmosphere gives you cancer.

[@ogKoral]

Russia’s already got half-life foot soldiers and rusty military vehicles, just kinda the opposite of loyal to the death. “WITNESS ME… (running away)” 😭🤣

[@MrDominickpal]

This was so important. Can you find more stories like this? I get overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness, and "why even try, it's a lost cause." This gave me hope and I feel motivated not to give up. Thank you!

[@andriesoliviier9529]

Soul: "Please don't watch another Soviet Geographics." Brain: "Shut up! I must feed!"

[@flounder2129]

U nailed it!

[@paulmirza2083]

Chicoms, really?!? Did you and your president come up with that insult all by yourselves? Congratulations...

[@zoesolanki961]

Oh my gosh this is literally my brain and soul right now

[@aaronbradley3232]

Listening to your brain and ignoring your deeper consciousness is not good for you

[@dank8793]

@@paulmirza2083 Chicom has been around for decades. Think before you speak, chicom apologist.

[@NiskaMagnusson]

Alexander the great: "This is amazing" Alexander the Slav: "Cyka Blyat"

[@Kelastris]

*Aleksandr the Slav

[@robert.m4676]

Niska Magnusson Soviet communist’s are evil! I pray they’re people are free one day!

[@ImmaculateM1Garand]

😂

[@gladehartdreamer5620]

@@robert.m4676 hum, the soviet union already fell my dude

[@20PhantoM07]

What does Cyka Blyat mean? I've heard it before..

[@javyacuna4380]

You need a playlist called "Soviet FU*KUPS!"

[@peter8259]

That sounds like a good business blaze video idea

[@peterprovenzano9039]

This is not a fuck up. This is normal for communism. It destroys everything it touches

[@ocfos88]

Should be a playlist named "Cold War Blues"; With fuckups caused by the cold war itself, from both sides of it. It'd be a very interesting playlist. It would involve things such as Chernobyl, Aral Sea, Runit Island, etc. The time is definitely an interesting historical period, but I'm glad it's dying down by now. If only it was.

[@Server0750]

Still not as bad as the F*Ups from the USA.

[@Server0750]

@Garrett McGinnis the bad thing being most of the USA talks proudly of it, herosima, nakusami (not sure how to spell it)

[@NOLAgenX]

It's sad. I flew from visiting Bukhara and Samarkand and on to Kiev on a school trip in 1985. Looking down, I was excited to see the full Aral Sea, as still depicted on many maps. Now, it's gone and a toxic mess. Thanks for such a well-done video on a place more people should know about!

[@bencheevers6693]

The ending of this video actually shook me, the people who have the least and have their circumstances actively predated on deserve this second chance more than anybody

[@GasGrassOrAssetto]

25x the cancer rate, respiratory illness, and the plague?! This place sounds like hell, I cant imagine many worse places to live.

[@joshuahunt3032]

Dave G I think most worse places aren’t even on Earth.

[@510faithfulforlife7]

You would live longer there than you would underwater, lol!

[@MrGeforcerFX]

you want a plane ticket to Detroit? :D

[@510faithfulforlife7]

@@MrGeforcerFX man I was gonna say something about Detroit lmao

[@desertnurse8513]

This is aloso where USSR had their chemical and biological weapons lab on one of the islands. So after the fall they just buried all that nasty stuff there, scary stuff.

[@berryberrykixx]

This reminds me, on a smaller scale, about the constant runoff of fertilizers and the increasing temperatures of Lake Erie that finally came to a head in 2014 when toxic blue-green algae penetrated our water source on the Lake and proceeded through our water treatment plant undetected until it was too late. For 3 days in August, everybody who recieved their water through Toledo, Ohio, were ordered to stop using the tap water for ANYTHING because those toxins would make us very very ill. Over a half a million citizens in Toledo and the surround areas had no water whatsoever that proved to be quite catastrophic.

[@sparkpenguin]

the same is happening to lake O down by me. :(

[@Irigoyen4]

Meanwhile a few profit while many suffer.

[@michaelpettersson4919]

@@Irigoyen4 And we cannot really expect that companies selling bottled water to hand out their product for free. That is unless they are somehow connected to those behind the disaster.

[@missadel20]

Chelsea Older that's why everyone should prep for stuff like that

[@Irigoyen4]

Michael Pettersson - and end up with plastic bottles everywhere. Funny how a bottled litre of water costs more than a litre of gasoline. To much unbridled greed in the world. Laws against small things, but not against gouging or exploitation. Time for a change.

[@Silent_Shadow]

Cotten: white gold Oil: black gold BOTH: Cause war, death, and famine.

[@merrittanimation7721]

Along with regular gold.

[@pizaclatonddd3081]

Next will be Lithium

[@outlawJosieFox]

Well to be fair it's people who cause those things

[@prashanthbharadwaj5504]

And then there was the real gold it self

[@prashanthbharadwaj5504]

Thorium will be in the list soon... It shall be called "nuclear gold"

[@SlewedHydra]

Not gonna lie; the fact that the North Aral Sea has returned a good bit is awesome. It's great to see that not every part of the sea is gone, and there is hope. I wonder if there could even be a resurgence of the entire Aral sea much farther down the line.

[@ThorMan91587]

Whew, this one was an emotional rollercoaster. Thank you for ending it on a more hopeful note.

[@apalahartisebuahnama7684]

Who would win : 11.000 years old sea Or Some bad agriculture plan

[@ChipmunkRapidsMadMan1869]

Apalaharti Sebuahnama look at Lake Meade v California and it’s water greed and inability to save water of its own.

[@Cjnw]

Normie

[@TheJMBon]

@@ChipmunkRapidsMadMan1869 Huge difference between a natural sea and a manmade lake.

[@ChipmunkRapidsMadMan1869]

@@TheJMBon Lake Mead is going dry because of California. The Aral Sea is going dry because of Soviet ignorance.

[@TheJMBon]

@@ChipmunkRapidsMadMan1869 Only partially true. In the last decade, rainfall and snowfall in the Colorado drainage basin have been far below average, but yes, California ignorance it to blame along with Arizona, Utah and Nevada.

[@TheVIdeosOnly]

The recovery of it was quite a beautiful story

[@k3kboi665]

The image of an old fisher man seeing the sea he lost so long ago returning brought a tear into my eye.

[@geminiengine2719]

A story about both humanity’s capacity for careless destruction and building great works.

[@jedwalker2991]

The Soviet Union reminds me of a suburban dad with a bad case of “keeping up with the Jones”. Keeps buying stuff on credit that he can’t afford or doesn’t need

[@keiththorpe9571]

I once answered a question on a history quiz with: "Long Ago, B.C." I failed that test.

[@alexandremagalhaes1774]

Long ago in a distant land...

[@jeffzaun1841]

True story. On a history test at the Naval Academy I got a question about what happened to Agrippa. I hadn't done the reading and the only thing I thought I knew was that Agrippa was a she. Figuring she had to be dead by 1982, I wrote "She died." The answer was marked correct.

[@internetexplorer1057]

My sister answered a question "what was the aqueduct and who built it" with "a thing.. some men..." in her history exam. She also failed that test and was so embarrased to show it to our parents she hid it for like 15 years until my mom found it in my sisters old drawer or some shit. Oh man the laughs we got off of it.

[@richardburnett-_]

BBBC

[@steveford8999]

@@internetexplorer1057 "Aqueduct"? "Why a duck" [classical reference above]

[@wrongsalvation8904]

I have to say, this is one of the best Geographics I had the pleasure of watching in a while. And that's saying something because I like them all.

[@scooby45247]

the Aral sea is a prime example of why people in power need to do their homework before acting..

[@venge1894]

I think this is more a case where the homework was done but any conclusions reached about potential consequences were completely ignore out of arrogance.

[@DebTheDevastator]

This is a lesson about how rich companies or people can afford to throw some money at something with the right people in charge and fix it. Because after all they thought it would be a stop gap not a solution.

[@lewisdoherty7621]

I think they knew of the potential problems, it was just that the leadership wanted the money generated by cotton sales more than the losses sustained by the local population. In a similar way, while the nuclear test area, the Semipalatinsk Test Site, was described as a place with no population, the leadership knew there were some people living in the area and just used them to study radiation. The leadership knew stealing the grain from Ukraine would not only generate money for the regime, it would also kill a large percentage of the small farmers. The leadership wanted to destroy the small farmers to collectivize the agriculture. The communists always conceive of the "capitalists" doing horrible things, because that is what the communists see themselves doing and do do in a similar situations.

[@lewisdoherty7621]

@Crystal Dreams The Purple Gang has fingers in everything which turns ugly.

[@williamlee7672]

dizzybynature. I am thinking about Trump and how he wants to explore the artic for oil.

[@lamegoldfish6736]

"It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from there."

[@ChipmunkRapidsMadMan1869]

Yup, pit looks like a giant push pin

[@Poisonwc]

This is quite possibly one of my favorite programs you've done. Excellent job, Mr. Whistler and Team!

[@NeidalRuekk]

Let's hope so. I remember as a child looking at a globe and wondering how there were two seas so far inland; Caspian and Aral. I then went to learn more about the Aral Sea and was astounded to see it had been reduced to a mere percentage of what it once was in less than 50 years.

[@jgc4818]

11:42 could you imagine seeing your entire livelihood, and that of your ancestors’ for that sake, destroyed in just a matter of months? Never assume your way of life is completely secure, people.

[@Akuretarie]

Plot twist it was done on purpose.

[@cs-rj8ru]

In my father's time, nearly every form of livelihood was destroyed by the Carter Administration in just a matter of months....

[@Calendator]

@victor bruun yeah it absolutely wasn't for the backwardness of the Russia empire and the two wars

[@Calendator]

@victor bruun I was thinking about 15-18, 39-45

[@Calendator]

There was also the one with Japan at the start of the century

[@danielmakhambet6400]

Im from there, my mom was 7 when the sea reached the city. Just sad i guess

[@hopefulmonsters4407]

It's such a tragedy. I'm afraid of what will happen to the Great Lakes as freshwater becomes scarce.

[@milekrizman]

You are Uzbek?

[@ericfalsken5188]

For the record .... we did the same thing in California to the Salton Sea. It has its own interesting history.

[@dannybeads3672]

Yeah it’s like a miniature version of the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea was created by accidental diverting of a river to creat a massive lake/sea over thousands of years, and dried up over decades because of man, while the Salton Sea was created by man accidentally draining some of the Colorado River into the Salton Basin for 2 years, and they fixed the accident, so now more flow to it, so obviously it would immediately begin disappearing. People just enjoyed it while they could.

[@Dac_DT_MKD]

@King 0f Gotham We Comrade (USSR theme starts playing).

[@robertbalazslorincz8218]

Yea, except THE WEST DOESN'T REALISE ITS OWN MISTAKES.

[@ayeshadequeiroz4857]

I live near it, the smell in the summer is heinous.

[@hectorzero8545]

@@robertbalazslorincz8218 i mean we literally do and we dont get shot for it like in the USSR. People are free to criticize and ban together to fix the environment in the west

[@anderty4088]

As Latvian, I remember this horror story back in school around 2000. I didn't knew that some part of story actually had some good part too. But one thing it did teaches immediately forever - humanity have power to create amazing things in equal measure to destroy. I really wish more modern schools would not be corporate slaves of teaching what they are paid for, but more expressive of how blind power without responsibility will not only kill you, but next generations after you. You might not care for yourself, but it's not as bad as just spitting in every face of children by not caring for their future. Thank you for sharing this story with world. Should keep reminding humanity about atrocities it's capable of.

[@John_Fugazzi]

You might do one on another dying sea, the Salton Sea in California. Created accidentally, it had a real heyday as a resort area decades ago but now is a drying wasteland that has also become a kind of weird place of alternative art installations and fringe inhabitants.

[@VisionaryGardener]

Owens Lake is another one. Its source was diverted to L.A. in 1913, drying the lake up almost entirely, causing towns along its shore to become ghost towns.

[@nicholes5402]

Man, I thought Simon was going to say “Civilization Jackpot”......Nope, G-spot. Lol

[@bradgillette9253]

Yikes. That was painful to watch, but, again, y'all have brought us something very useful. Well done, Morris and Simon. Here in California, we've managed to narrowly escape similar disasters with Mono Lake and Lake Tahoe.

[@neotheresa]

“Here come the Russians”. That is, *by far* , the most terrifying thing you can tell someone But also “soviet incompetence”. Isn’t that a little redundant?

[@davids5126]

Black people in West Africa in the 18th century: “Here come the Russians”. LOL. "Here come the English, the French, the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the Dutch." Noooooooo.

[@BrofessorHEMann]

Stalin: “We don’t need these 50 million people, that lake, those forests, these tribes, your faith.....”

[@Xiphactinus]

@Investigative Audit but Stalin killed 70 bajillion people!!!!!!!!

[@pudgeboyardee32]

No innuendo... None... Not a thing... "civilization g-spot..." Oh my.

[@jonescrusher1]

That's not innuendo.

[@juliuspavilovskis4862]

George Takei would be proud

[@marquisdelafayette1929]

As I was scrolling I had to do a double take, I def didn’t see aRal sea, replace the R with N.

[@CrazyBear65]

Just wanna get high ti I die. No innuendo here, just wanna get high ti I die.

[@exactmyjustice]

U caught that toooo?😂😂😂😂

[@kyleowen2808]

Have you ever thought of turning the audio of these videos into podcasts? Would love to have them in podcast form

[@obsidean1]

Not gonna lie you made me cry there at the very end very touching video. The message you send to your viewers everyday is truly inspiring

[@davidgarrott4264]

I just finished reading Tom Bissell's 2003 "Chasing the Sea." While I really enjoyed the book this video is a welcome rest-of-the-story closure and a perfect way to fill in the years following Bissell's visit. Why the Kazakh dam hasn't been heighten yet is a testament to the fact the Aral Sea was sacrificed in the first place and the blind eyes who stood by. Good luck to the persistent souls living in the area and trying to reestablish the former way of life there.

[@obscuremix8198]

I like how this video ended on such a positive way. It definitely made my day.

[@lornaginetteharrison7168]

2:29 "...a period of time so far back we’ll just call it long ago BC..." Damn, I wish they’d have accepted that answer (for several questions!) in my Geology exam!

[@lamebubblesflysohigh]

I failed my geology class when I realized that I am partially color blind and cannot distinguish all shades of brown and green to tell apart different types sedimentary rocks :D My test had 17 brown rocks and 5 green ones :D

[@lornaginetteharrison7168]

lamebubblesflysohigh: I feel your pain!

[@JustanOlGuy]

I've got to stop watching your videos, because I spend the rest of the day researching the topic! Thank you!

[@sagesheahan6732]

Nah dude, thats excellent. Inspiration for your thirst for knowledge? Never stop learning. :)

[@JustanOlGuy]

@@sagesheahan6732 Well, my would tell me that a day that you don't learn something new is a day wasted.

[@xavierb4647]

I love watching your videos on Soviet Union satellite states, and russia as a whole. Please keep making more of them

[@camouflage7226]

You just stole my words.

[@picklerick4944]

Xavier B you should watch Bald and Bankrupt. You're welcome

[@camouflage7226]

Pickle Rick I already do.

[@richardburnett-_]

Yep, we're kind of absent on general world history, especially Russia/Soviet.

[@xavierb4647]

Pickle Rick thank you I appreciate it

[@Ola_S.]

Thanks for the great video! It would be great to see a new one with an update on the status of the recovery of the North Aral Sea - after all, it's been four years, I wonder if the project has moved forward

[@goldsmith1210]

I’d love to see you do a video about the Salton Sea in California.

[@alexandrialucius8351]

I was thinking that too.

[@pancholopez8829]

There is also Orville Lake. It was the fourth largest lake in Noth America. But LA, either by both right or left dried it up in its usual "water wars". You think with how much water LA manage to dry up the Orville Lake, they would make desalination plants to lower the sea level?

[@RainCloud123]

I think this is my favorite location that you guys have done so far! I knew about the death of the Aral Sea, but I had no idea that the North portion was making a comeback!

[@kylorenkardashian5518]

Sounds like the Salton Sea.. can we get a Geographic episode on the Salton Sea? and a Biographic episode on Mulholland?

[@otakuman706]

I was thinking of the Salton Sea at so many points in this video, too. 👏 Just about any other community I'd be surprised, but given the higher average knowledge of those who watch these I don't think I should be. Anyway, yeah, it's an interesting topic too. Though with how things are going I'm not gonna hold my breath about it having 'light on the horizon' as this one does... Smh...

[@marokyea99]

Yes please! I came to the comments to ask for this.

[@Micksjourney]

Not really no salton sea was man made by accident and didn't dissapear due to overuse of water for irrigation..

[@otakuman706]

@@Micksjourney Still has some similarities, and could definitely be a source for an interesting video....

[@kylorenkardashian5518]

@@Micksjourney wrong. The Salton Sea in Southern California was formed in 1907 when men tried to redirect Colorado River irrigation canals and caused a two-year flood. those men worked for William Mulholland

[@sdb9884]

This had me in tears by the end. I hope they can get the dam extended soon. This gave me a lot of hope for the earth.

[@Klaas_L]

they should fly in some Dutch people

[@sdb9884]

Klaas L This made me laugh! Thank you!

[@erichtomanek4739]

The two original names of the rivers are: Jaxartes (northern) Oxus (southern) The land in between, Transoxiana.

[@WideWorldofTrains]

Good to hear that the North Aral Sea is making a comeback

[@zdaaaaar]

I have got an advertisement for Ural Airlines... KZbin? No gulag pls

[@TwentyNinerR]

I remember reading about Aral Sea and its former glory on a kids' encyclopedia. The book in question is up to date at the late 80s, probably around 1987-1989

[@annad.l6087]

Long ago BC. I'll have to use that one when my kids ask me when something happened BC.

[@martincarbosin3431]

Watch everything (and read 4 books too) about Aral Sea and Voz Island and i have to say that you have done very good job mate. Congrats!

[@ClareBearBunny]

Voeikov: The Aral sea is a mistake of nature! Aral Sea: But I'm your lake! Voeikov: I have no lake! Aral Sea: *tears*

[@dexota]

Salty tears

[@Tourwirn1]

​@@dexotavery very VERY salty Tears

[@j.t7442]

I like this video. It's scientific, makes me angry at the Soviet Union, and provides hope that one day our planet will be saved. All the makings of a good video

[@stlchucko]

This reminds me... I hope you do an episode on the Salton Sea.

[@DayleGomez]

Yes! Totally.

[@dtobler4638]

This is what is happening to the once great salt lake in Utah. With Utah’s economic successes, it’s experiencing large growth which is placing larger demands water that used to flow to the lake. It wouldn’t surprise me if it eventually completely dries up.

[@wilmagregg3131]

dosent help that most water in the west is being diverted to feed california mega citys dam anyone else that relied on said water if the rate cali waste full water consumption keeps going there wont be any rural towns in califonria and beyond in 3 decades the worst thing about it is the people of cali have the strictest water rationing in the country yet all the luxury golf courses pools water parks etc etc luxury shite gets to keep using as much water as they want

[@daragildea7434]

@@wilmagregg3131 Probably because they pay the corrupt politicians for the privilege.

[@timotheusvanesch3959]

Lovely video! Great to get some more background than just the depletion stories. For me it's personal, since we drove through Aral, while travelling to Tibet, in 2018. We drove through the dunes of trash to the outskirts of the Aral Sea. We slept on a vast steppe of salt, which looked a bit like a moonscape, and the next day we even found some waters. I had no clue it was the returning of the Northern part, but wauw, was it gorgeous!

[@Warlock11206]

This was a really good episode Simon, well done.

[@rachel_sj]

Had to stop watching the Biographics video on Lavrentiy Beria to watch this video. Been fascinated by the Aral Sea and love the Soviet videos lately!

[@markgolden1418]

We need to remember this sea when we treat our great lakes they are in danger too.

[@wretchedsinner2468]

What?? The lakes are at their highest levels in decades....

[@MastaOfMonkeyDisasta]

@@wretchedsinner2468 Water quality and ecosystem, notably I assume. Gotta keep water sources good and safe, the base of all ecosystems.

[@sparkybolt2085]

As someone from the Midwest, I don't want to think about how devastating the loss of the Great Lakes would be. There are so many cities along its shores in both the US and Canada. Not to mention Niagara Falls.

[@lifeisa.smalllesson333]

Are they cut off from the oceans now? They should filter through the ocean...unless humans have built dams or something.

[@Gameflyer001]

Lake Erie was a terrible place to be back in the 1970s due to all the pollution from nearby factories and the algal blooms occurring with frightening regularity. This was even alluded to in Dr. Seuss's book "The Lorax". Fortunately, Lake Erie and the rest of the Great Lakes are in a better position than they were back then, but still need to be monitored.

[@crineasa7409]

Geographics offers a treasure trove of knowledgeable content and its such a joy for me to follow as an avid watcher, thank you Simon and the team behind the camera!

[@branislavjankovic2801]

One, if not, the best video on geographics. Well done.

[@SoundShinobiYuki]

In high school geography, I had to do a project on the Aral Sea. This was in 2006- and the sea was considered basically doomed by anyone who had heard of it here if you weren't able to get the most recent of recent news about what they were planning. It was a pretty sad one with "It is hoped the newly constructed damn will halt any worse damage in the north half" being the best it got. (But hey, that's what you get when you take the environmental issues geography class.) I remember I had the early 2000's Guiness books of records with it listed as "fastest shrinking sea", too. Fast forward about ten years later, and on one of my regular wikiholes, I came upon the Aral Sea article. I expected it would all be in the past tense as a "was once a lovely sea, not any more". Cue my absolute shock (and delight) at finding out they were actually making progress in saving some of it!

[@user-wx3wc4bo7c]

I like learning obscure things from history since you know history repeats it's self just different names and dates ......better than knowing Hollywood tabloid crap. The fact he has an accent makes me feel like I'm getting "cultured"

[@MrTomasWalsh]

Mark Twain had a good quote. Something along the lines of: History doesn't repeat itself but it has a tendency to rhyme

[@maths-monkey]

"The fact he has an accent" - this made me laugh. He literally has no accent :)

[@user-wx3wc4bo7c]

Russell Moore when I lived and worked in Australia I was told that I Have an accent every day you don't know you have a accent until someone else points it out linguistics amigo linguistics.

[@unclecaravan]

Heh, "Civilization G Spot". Nice.

[@conorobrien4046]

was really surprised he said that, seemed so out of character XD

[@kegsofvomitspit]

giggity

[@fieldmarshalbaltimore1329]

Heh... Aral... Heh... Ariel... Heh... Anal... Heh nice

[@JasonDoe1000]

Ever since the video about the Russian Anthrax Lab I have been waiting to see a video about the Aral Sea (or rather Aral Desert now) coming up Very nice that you did this video, very bad though how human mismanagement destroyed the Aral Sa

[@francoislancon798]

Thank you for the update on the Aral Sea, let's wait for next deluge then!

[@bathysphere1070]

Similar in many ways to the environmental disaster of the Salton Sea in southern California.

[@JackReace360]

except in reverse... It was a salt flat "the great salt basin" that due to a dam failing. Filled an empty desert with water making a fresh water lake. It only became a disaster because the salt basin naturally dissolved into the fresh water making it a salt water lake

[@vijayanchomatil8413]

Not similar at all... one is an old sea created by nature and the other started as a reservoir.

[@projectinlinesix]

This is outstanding content! I had never heard of this tragedy before today. Thank you!

[@laurajuranek2207]

Why is everything Russian/Soviet always seem messed up, cold, dark, and depressing?

[@Feffdc]

Because you watch this series

[@burstingwizard975]

Because the socialists got ahold of it and it's been fucked ever since

[@TheMrPyatka]

Because you see, what you want to see.

[@PostalPatriot556]

Communism my dear child! It burns everything it touches!

[@PostalPatriot556]

Joseph Stalin and, you know, mass graves and famine.

[@iammaxhailme]

this may be the most important geographics yet. forget history, this is a lesson for the future

[@Ronniegallagher007]

Simon. This is an excellent documentary summarising the history of the Aral Sea and how it became an environmental disaster story through mankind's ignorance and greed. It also carries a message of hope through dam building rescue measures. An unsung hero of the recovery of the North Aral is Dr. Nikolai Aladin of the St. Petersburg Brackish Water Laboratory. Nikolai has been actively monitoring the ecology of the area for two decades and advising the Kazakhstani authorities. He is also campaigning for international support and action to both conserve existing water resources and enhance the recovery of the Aral. Bringing the Aral back to life again would resolve many problems and be a huge environmental success story. I would encourage your viewers to support Nikolai's efforts.

[@Garinovitch]

I love this story. We only ever focus on the nature Humanity has destroyed, we never hear about the nature that humanity has created. It's not that they're too few in between to account for, but we focus more on grim tales than the hopeful ones. My grandfather spoke about the Aral Sea, perhaps one day if we maintain this progress when I'm his age I can return to my motherlands and witness the sea my grandfather loved restored to it's former beauty.

[@sagesheahan6732]

Count Dooku: "I've been looking forward to this." Other ideas for a Geographics? Tornado Alley, Yellowstone (or any National Park in any country), Ross Island, Desolation Islands, specific volcanoes (like Mayon, Laki, Toba, Tambora, Pinatubo, Rainier and the Kamchatka chain), Shenzhen and how fast it grew, Dubai, Gibraltar Straight, Edinburgh Castle (or any major castle for that matter), Svalbard, Notre Dome, Mont St Michael, Gaza and the West Bank, Kashmir, Tibet, Tokyo, Singapore, Mt Denali. Just some ideas. 😉😁

[@jimtalbott9535]

Add to this the Hanford Site in Washington State, USA.

[@francyswells4910]

@@jimtalbott9535 I live about 30 minutes from there

[@jimtalbott9535]

@@francyswells4910 Same here. ;)

[@danknigel5430]

Kyber pass ,love canal , bikini atoll

[@James_Wisniewski]

It might be controversial, but I think somebody needs to discuss current events in Kashmir. The recent actions of the Indian government in the region are appalling, and it seems like it's only Muslims and leftists talking about it, and that just isn't okay. If you're not aware (and even I really don't know that much), basically, Indian forces have been going in and kidnapping Muslim children and taking them God only knows where, and murdering Kashmiri citizens, as well as putting them in what amounts to pre-concentration camp ghettos ala Nazi Germany. It's horrifying, and it's especially worrying that nobody seems to care.

[@ltraina3353]

This made me think of the salton sea, would love an episode on that!

[@eggsngritstn]

"Hit the civilization G-spot." 😆

[@peterhanford2553]

Wow this is awesome... the channel that is, not the dying of the Aral Sea :( Thanks for this, the quality here rivals big-budget cable documentaries!

[@glennkrieger]

So I have this theory. This guy runs so many different channels, and very well at that, that he's either twins or triplicates. Only Mommy knows.

[@davidlium9338]

Only his beard dresser knows for sure! Can anybody make the connection?

[@harismechy92]

"Civilization G-spot" - Simon 2020

[@NajwaLaylah]

Rule of Thumb: Things you want to happen slowly in nature (degradation) are likely to happen faster than you think; things you want to happen quickly (restoration?) in nature is likely to take longer or 'never happen'. ^^ Not a sure thing, but the way to bet.

[@markopusic8258]

It's not that hard to explain why it happens this way. The universe naturally tends towards chaos, because it means ultimate molecular and atomic stability. As such, it's practically always easier to destroy than to create, it's just the way of Nature.

[@remyandreurne7661]

The ending was beautiful.. there is hope. I really belive that..

[@Docosi]

For all you who don’t understand how big the Great Lakes in the US are, Lake Michigan is almost 2x the size of the Aral Sea. And Lake Michigan is one of 5 Great Lakes all connected to one another.

[@maxhocks2006]

Do Tech Lake Michigan is enormous. From the shore in Chicago or Milwaukee it looks like an ocean. From its southern tip to northern end is 300 miles. It would take over four hours to drive that distance. Nobody really talks about how huge the Great Lakes are.

[@yeahrightok.3975]

@@maxhocks2006 they are in America...... nobody cares.

[@markkiely8326]

Its really nice to see one of your more sad stories with a ray of hope

[@horrorkesh]

a good example of what happens when you let something go until the future often left too long causing devastation and misery for momentary gains

[@sopianwahyudi]

I remember in elementary school, we were naming 10 big lakes of each continents, and we mentioned Aral Sea (laut Aral in Indonesian). Damn Now there's hope, I teared up damnit

[@madmick3794]

I remember my grandmother telling of this place when I was a kid. She visited there when working as a spy/code-breaker for a forgien military and years later working with the UN.

[@MastaOfMonkeyDisasta]

Might wanna keep that on on the DL, honestly.

[@madmick3794]

@@MastaOfMonkeyDisasta She gave public testimony at multiple legal enquiries and died 15y ago, no danger of it not being known.

[@peter8259]

Coolest grandmother award goes to you

[@oilersridersbluejays]

Liar.

[@madmick3794]

@@oilersridersbluejays Believe what you will.

[@elementalworld]

That was the best one you have done across all of your channels bravo!