A geographical perspective on the Aral Sea crisis: three interpretations of an image

The Aral Sea crisis has gained global notoriety as a human-induced environmental disaster. This paper contextualizes this crisis within a broad geographical framework. Three interpretations of a single photographic image emblematic of the desiccation of the Aral Sea are related to general foci withi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: White Kristopher D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2013-09-01
Series:Bulletin of Geography: Socio-Economic Series
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.2478/bog-2013-0026
Description
Summary:The Aral Sea crisis has gained global notoriety as a human-induced environmental disaster. This paper contextualizes this crisis within a broad geographical framework. Three interpretations of a single photographic image emblematic of the desiccation of the Aral Sea are related to general foci within the academic discipline of geography. These interpretations serve to guide a framing of the Aral Sea crisis within a geographical context. This is presented as a geographical problem, incorporating elements and processes salient to physical geography, human geography, and human-environment interaction. With ecological and societal sustainability in the immediate Aral Sea region still a pressing concern, geographers are well positioned to contribute relevant, research-driven insights.
ISSN:1732-4254