At the beginning of the 1980s, an enormous lagoon on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea nearly vanished after the Soviet Union built a dam to stop water from entering it. Within just three years, the lagoon had almost completely dried up, triggering a cascade of environmental consequences. The dam was meant to conserve water, but it quickly altered the local environment. As the lagoon dried, salt deposits accumulated, and dust became a growing problem across the surrounding area.
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