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在不到一百年的时间里，人类摧毁了咸海。这是最具有象征意味的环境灾难之一。不过现在看来，咸海之前至少崩塌了两次，并且每一次都恢复了。
1961年，中亚的咸海是当时世界的第四大湖。但是苏联时期开始实施大规模的灌溉项目，大量使用湖水，使得咸海的体积降至原来的10%并留下大面积的干旱土地。生态系统已经崩溃，干涸的湖床上含有沙尘暴传播而来的杀虫剂，饮用水也受到污染。
而现在地质学家发现，咸海曾经从类似的衰退中自然恢复了过来。
卡拉马祖市西密歇根大学的菲利普·米克林称，“咸海在过去的确干涸过但又得到了恢复”，但他并没有参与新的研究。
米克林表示，使用更少的水来灌溉作物可以恢复整个咸海，但是这将会使农场受到影响，实际上苏联时代结束以后，灌溉面积有所增加。在这些地方，当地人已经从需要大量水分的稻米、棉花转向了冬小麦，但是他们需要种植棉花来赚钱。
In less than a century， humanity destroyed the Aral Sea. It is one of the most emblematic environmental disasters. But now it seems the sea has collapsed at least twice before， and recovered both times.
In 1961， the Aral Sea in central Asia was the world's fourth largest lake. But massive irrigation programmes begun during the Soviet era diverted water from the rivers that feed it， reducing the lake's volume to just 10 per cent of what it was and leaving large areas dry. The ecosystem has collapsed， the desiccated lake bed is laced with pesticides that are spread by dust storms， and drinking water is polluted.
Now geologists have discovered that the Aral Sea has previously recovered naturally from such severe declines.
"The sea really has dried in the past and has come back，" says Philip Micklinof Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo， who was not involved in the new study.
Using less water to irrigate crops could restore the entire Aral Sea， says Micklin. But it would devastate the farms， which have actually increased the irrigated area since the end of the Soviet era. In places they have shifted from water-hungry rice and cotton to winter wheat， but they need to grow cotton to earn money.
1961年，中亚的咸海是当时世界的第四大湖。但是苏联时期开始实施大规模的灌溉项目，大量使用湖水，使得咸海的体积降至原来的10%并留下大面积的干旱土地。生态系统已经崩溃，干涸的湖床上含有沙尘暴传播而来的杀虫剂，饮用水也受到污染。
而现在地质学家发现，咸海曾经从类似的衰退中自然恢复了过来。
卡拉马祖市西密歇根大学的菲利普·米克林称，“咸海在过去的确干涸过但又得到了恢复”，但他并没有参与新的研究。
米克林表示，使用更少的水来灌溉作物可以恢复整个咸海，但是这将会使农场受到影响，实际上苏联时代结束以后，灌溉面积有所增加。在这些地方，当地人已经从需要大量水分的稻米、棉花转向了冬小麦，但是他们需要种植棉花来赚钱。
In less than a century， humanity destroyed the Aral Sea. It is one of the most emblematic environmental disasters. But now it seems the sea has collapsed at least twice before， and recovered both times.
In 1961， the Aral Sea in central Asia was the world's fourth largest lake. But massive irrigation programmes begun during the Soviet era diverted water from the rivers that feed it， reducing the lake's volume to just 10 per cent of what it was and leaving large areas dry. The ecosystem has collapsed， the desiccated lake bed is laced with pesticides that are spread by dust storms， and drinking water is polluted.
Now geologists have discovered that the Aral Sea has previously recovered naturally from such severe declines.
"The sea really has dried in the past and has come back，" says Philip Micklinof Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo， who was not involved in the new study.
Using less water to irrigate crops could restore the entire Aral Sea， says Micklin. But it would devastate the farms， which have actually increased the irrigated area since the end of the Soviet era. In places they have shifted from water-hungry rice and cotton to winter wheat， but they need to grow cotton to earn money.