The Devil and the Disappearing Sea : How I Tried to Stop the World's Worst Ecological Catastrophe

In January 2000 Rob Ferguson went to Uzbekistan to work on an environmental project to save the Aral Sea. By the time he left Central Asia a year later, he was under suspicion for murder. And the project had achieved almost nothing: once the world's third largest lake, the Aral is down to 20 percent of its 1960 size; some say it will be gone by 2010. This is a true tale of a well-meaning Canadian who heads off to one of the earth's poorest regions to try and change the world. Instead he encounters corrupt officials, anti-Western hostility and deep-seated problems. Only the ancient cities, friendly people and a sharp sense of humour keep Ferguson on the right side of sanity. The Devil and the Disappearing Sea is a tragi-comic tale told with panache and a storyteller's eye for detail. The backdrop includes an environmental disaster, life amongst the ruins of the Soviet empire and Rob's travels through the legendary cities of the Silk Road. Part Robert Kaplan, part Graham Greene, it is above all a story of memorable characters, led by Mr. G, a chain-smoking humpty-dumpty who has spent 40 years milking Soviet and Western donors.