Aral Sea ‘Probably Biggest Ecological Catastrophe of Our Time’, Secretary-General Says

 Stressing Need to Act Forcefully in Preventing Tragedy from Multiplying

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ statement following his visit to the Aral Sea, in Muynak, Uzbekistan, today:
Visiting the Aral Sea and seeing what was the fourth-largest inland sea in the world almost dead has caused a tremendous shock.  This is probably the biggest ecological catastrophe of our time.  And it demonstrates that men can destroy the planet.
The Aral Sea’s progressive disappearance was not because of climate change, it was mismanagement by humankind of water resources.  But it also shows that if in relation to climate change we are not able to act forcefully to tame this phenomenon, we might see this kind of tragedy multiply around the world.
So let’s use the Aral Sea as a symbol of how humanity can destroy the planet and let’s make it a lesson for us all to be able to mobilize the whole international community to implement the Paris Agreement — Governments, businesses, civil society, cities, States — in order to make sure that tragedies like the one I have seen in Uzbekistan will not be repeated.
http://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sgsm18565.doc.htm

Related story: Catastrophe of Aral Sea shows 'men can destroy the planet,' warns UN chief Guterres
10 June 2017 – Continuing his visit to Central Asia, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today visited the Aral Sea – once the world's fourth largest inland sea, that has now shrunk to about a quarter of its original size due to human mismanagement – where he urged the world to take lesson from the catastrophe and to ensure that such tragedies are not repeated.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56949

NEWS NOTEBOOK

President Donald J. Trump Proclaims June 2017 as National Ocean Month
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
 A PROCLAMATION
National Ocean Month celebrates the mighty oceans and their extraordinary resources.  This month, we recognize the importance of harnessing the seas for our national security and prosperity.
 Thirty-four years ago, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the creation of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, making clear America's sovereign right to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage ocean resources extending 200 nautical miles from our shores.  This is the world's largest Exclusive Economic Zone, spanning more than 3.4 million square nautical miles    an area larger than the combined landmass of all 50 States.  We must recognize the importance of our offshore areas to our security and economic independence, all while protecting the marine environment for present and future generations.
 Today, our offshore areas remain underutilized and often unexplored.  We have yet to fully leverage new technologies and unleash the forces of economic innovation to more fully develop and explore our ocean economy.  In the field of energy, we have just begun to tap the potential of our oceans' oil and gas, wind, wave, and tidal resources to power the Nation.  The fisheries resources of the United States are among the most valuable in the world.  Growing global demand for seafood presents tremendous opportunities for expansion of our seafood exports, which can reduce our more than $13 billion seafood trade deficit.
See full statement: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/31/president-donald-j-trump-proclaims-june-2017-national-ocean-month

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