DOES THE ARAL-SEA MERIT HERITAGE STATUS

In November 1972, the United Nations developed the World Heritage Conv ention in recognition of the need for protecting valuable cultural and natural sites of global importance. The convention was designed to id entify and protect heritage sites worldwide. Although the Aral Sea has not yet been preposed by any of the Central Asian states as a world h eritage site, it meets many of the criteria designated by the Conventi on as a site meriting such status, The purpose of this paper is threef old. First, the notion of heritage and its application to world herita ge status are discussed, Second, this notion is applied to the Aral Se a Basin in Central Asia in an attempt to answer the question, 'Does th e Aral Sea merit heritage status?'. Finally, 'environmental justice' i ssues, which might arise as a result of such a designation, are discus sed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.