The Aral Sea once was the world’s fourth-largest lake, before it shrunk to only 10% of its size between the 1960s and early 2000s, as a result of former Soviet irrigation projects. However, due to Kazakh damming efforts, from 2005 onwards the North Aral Lake became gradually, but significantly, replenished, as is visible from the 100 m images of 2014 and 2018.