Elusive Water: The Life and Death of Central Asia's Aral Sea

Join us for a talk by historian Dr. Sarah Cameron (University of Maryland, College Park) on “Elusive Water: The Life and Death of Central Asia’s Aral Sea.”

Once the world’s fourth-largest inland sea, the Aral has become a striking symbol of ecological catastrophe, following Soviet irrigation projects that prioritized cotton over communities. Dr. Cameron will share stories of the people who lived along its shores, exploring how this disaster reshaped culture, health, and livelihoods, and what it teaches us about water crises around the globe today.