The ARAL Sea is a body of water located in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It was once the fourth-largest lake in the world, but due to the diversion of its feeder rivers for irrigation, it has been shrinking since the 1960s. The ARAL Sea is now only 10% of its original size, and its salinity has increased significantly. The ARAL Sea is an environmental disaster, with the surrounding area becoming increasingly polluted and desertified.