ABSTRACT
Problems similar to those afflicting the Aral Sea are found in many arid areas of the world where irrigation is practised and traditional methods have been modernised and commercialised. Whether Russia and other countries should or will contribute to the cost of stabilising the volume of water in the Aral Sea, if that is deemed to be an environmental priority in a global context, remains to be seen. Both Russia itself and the former communist countries of Central Europe have acute environmental problems. Given their location, in some cases relatively close to Western Europe, Central Asia may be too distant to gain attention and assistance.
