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    The Aral Sea is described as having shrunk to “10% of its original volume” (Paragraph 3). Lake Poopó has “virtually disappeared” (Paragraph 2), implying over 90% loss. Note that some argue the Aral Sea is not a “lake” but an inland sea; exam answers typically accept it due to common usage.

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    When analyzing the "reading answers" for why our lakes are in peril, researchers point to a combination of three primary factors: climate change, unsustainable water consumption, and sedimentation.

    A third critical threat is the over-extraction of water for human use. Agriculture alone accounts for roughly 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. When water is diverted for irrigation, industry, or urban supply faster than natural cycles can replenish it, lakes inevitably shrink. The most catastrophic example is the Aral Sea in Central Asia. Once the world’s fourth-largest lake, it has been reduced to less than 10% of its original volume after Soviet-era irrigation projects diverted its feeder rivers. The resulting ecological and human disaster—toxic dust storms, collapsed fisheries, and abandoned ports—stands as a grim warning. Similarly, the Dead Sea is shrinking at a rate of over a metre per year due to mineral extraction and diversion of the Jordan River. These cases show that the line between use and abuse is dangerously thin.

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