in the 1960s the aral sea was the 4th largest lake in the world & mo'ynoq's population consisted of mostly fishermen. but uzbekistan & the surrounding area was under the control of the soviet union which diverted much of the water in the aral sea for irrigation projects & the cotton industry.
the shrinking of the aral sea has been called "one of the planet's worst environment disasters." as the water flowing into the lake decreased, the sun began to evaporate the water more easily. pollution from the cotton industry reduced the number of fish & each year the shoreline progressively receded until the lake had all but disappeared, as well as the livelihood of the local population.
dust storms churned up the now dry sea bed & the pollutants began to poison the lungs of the locals forcing many to leave the region. some people remain, eking out a meagre existence doing disaster tourism but overall the region is in a state of ruin. mo'ynoq now suffers from incredibly hot summers & freezing winters, the abandoned ships serving as a constant reminder of what used to be.
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