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

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

Author(s): Kristopher D. White
Subject(s): Cultural Essay, Political Essay, Societal Essay
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika
Keywords: Aral Sea; geography; image interpretation; Central Asia

Summary/Abstract: 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.

  • Issue Year: 2013
  • Issue No: 21
  • Page Range: 125-132
  • Page Count: 8
  • Language: English