Mo’ynoq’s Desert Ships Are a Testament to Man’s Impact on the Environment

If ever there was an image that summed up man's disregard for the environment, then it would be the abandoned ships lying in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo%E2%80%98ynoq">Mo'ynoq in western Uzbekistan</a>. Today, Mo'ynoq is more or less deserted, but it used to be a prosperous port town and the vast expanse of desert surrounding it used to be the Aral Sea. So what happened?

In the 1960s, the Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake in the world and Mo’ynoq’s population were mostly fishermen.

Uzbekistan, like most of the surrounding regions, was under the control of the Soviet Union who determined the water would be of better use serving irrigation projects and the cotton industry.

The Aral Sea’s tributaries were re-diverted and as the water flowing into the lake decreased, the sun was able to more easily evaporate it.

Each year, the shoreline began to recede more and more until finally the lake had all but disappeared – as had the livelihood of the local population.

Today, some still remain eking out a meagre existence via disaster tourism, but the entire region is a nightmare to live in.

Mo’ynoq now suffers incredibly hot summers and freezing winters, and the abandoned ships serve as a constant reminder of what the town used to be and what could happen elsewhere unless man realises the impact he has on the world around him.