Water to dust: As the Aral Sea dries up, some battle for its survival

The abandoned vessels and a few rotting signs are the only remains of the port city that once stood on the banks of the Aral Sea. Photos: Ulf Mauder/dpa

Heavily corroded ships lie in the sands surrounding the Muynak in Uzbekistan. The abandoned vessels and a few rotting signs are the only remains of the port city that once stood on the banks of the Aral Sea.

The water disappeared decades ago.