Creeping Environmental Problems and Sustainable Development in the Aral Sea Basin [Hardcover]

Michael Glantz (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521620864 | ISBN-13: 978-0521620864 | Publication Date: May 13, 1999

Environmental degradation in the Aral Sea basin in Central Asia has been a touchstone for increasing public awareness of environmental issues. The Aral crisis has been touted as a "quiet Chernobyl" and as one of the worst human-made environmental catastrophes of the twentieth century. This multidisciplinary book is the first to comprehensively describe the slow onset of low grade but incremental changes (i.e., creeping environmental change) that affected the region and its peoples. Through a set of case studies, it describes how the region's decision-makers allowed these changes to grow into an environmental and societal nightmare. It outlines many lessons to be learned for other areas undergoing detrimental creeping environmental change, and provides an important example of how to approach such disasters for students and researchers of environmental studies, global change, political science and history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is highly recommended worldwide to everyone interested in the human dimensions of environmental change because it perfectly illustrates the human causes and impacts that sometimes creepingly turn into a human-induced ecological catastrophe." Environment

Book Description

Environmental degradation in the Aral Sea basin has been a touchstone for increasing public awareness of environmental issues. The Aral crisis has been touted as a 'quiet Chernobyl' and as one of the worst human-made environmental catastrophes of the 20th Century. This multidisciplinary book is the first to comprehensively describe the slow onset of low grade but incremental changes (i.e., creeping environmental change) which affected the region and its peoples. It provides an important example of how to approach such disasters for students and researchers of environmental studies, global change, political science and history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (May 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521620864
• ISBN-13: 978-0521620864
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,379,847 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Aral Sea Crisis, December 11, 2001

By 

Amy Ewing (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creeping Environmental Problems and Sustainable Development in the Aral Sea Basin (Hardcover)

This book is a collection of papers written mostly by Russian scientists on the effects of large-scale diversion of water from the Aral Sea for irrigation. No where else is there such a comprehensive look at the effects, including effects on human health (particularly in Karakalpakstan), ecological health, and climate. And its in English!