The ARAL Sea is a shrinking sea located in Central Asia. It was once the fourth largest lake in the world, but due to the diversion of its feeder rivers for irrigation and other human activities, it has been shrinking since the 1960s. The ARAL Sea has lost over 80% of its surface area and 90% of its volume, leaving behind a salty desert. This environmental disaster has had a devastating effect on the local ecology and economy.