Scientists on October 22, 1990, published stunning evidence about the shrinking of a huge inland sea, claiming it was an environmental catastrophe.

The Aral Sea in Central Asia, once the fourth-largest area of fresh water in the world, had shrunk by two-thirds, experts from the UK Royal Geographical Society told the BBC.

Shortly after the fall of the former Soviet Union, the society's scientists were permitted to enter the area straddling modern-day Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

What they found was stunning.

The sea level had fallen in depth by more than 14 metres since the 1960s, endangering the lives of the four million inhabitants of the region.

The region's economy had been battered by the demise of a once-thriving fishing industry, while climate change ushered in longer colder win

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