The Aral Sea was once a thriving ecosystem that supported millions of people in the Central Asia region. However, decades of mismanagement and environmental degradation have caused the lake to shrink dramatically, resulting in a humanitarian and ecological crisis. The consequences of the dying of the Aral Sea are far-reaching. The loss of the sea has caused the disappearance of fish and other species, and the exposed seabed has become a source of toxic dust storms that have caused respiratory diseases among local populations.