both the Aral Sea environmental disaster and the power of music to bring people together. The festival is a collaboration of musicians, artists, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs, and Stihia N+1, a series of talks about arts, science, and technology, runs alongside the music event. The Aral Sea Memorial is in the north end of Moynaq, amongst the rusting skeletons of the former fishing fleet. This ships’ graveyard is a depressing reminder of the economic impact of the shrinking of the Aral Sea, which is often overlooked in discussion about the environmental disaster. Moynaq Museum has paintings and photographs of the town in its more prosperous days. The exhibits demonstrate the wealth and importance of the place, not only due to fishing but also other industries such as fur farming and rush mat manufacturing. Wildlife Saiga antelope can still be found in the wild around Moynaq. Although they migrate in large numbers, the saiga are vulnerable as they are hunted for their meat, and the males’ translucent horns are valuable in traditional Chinese medicine. Moynaq is on a migration corridor for birds flying to and from Siberia, and the brackish pools between Moynaq and the Aral Sea are good spots for birdwatching. It is possible to see approximately 230 species of birds in the region, around half of which breed in the Sudochye Wetland, an internationally recognised Important Bird Area (IBA). 24 of these species are rare or vulnerable, and 13 of them are in the IUCN Red List. These include the critically endangered slender-billed curlew. References Further reading Disaster By Design: The Aral Sea and its Lessons for Sustainability (Research in Social Problems and Public Policy) by Michael R. Edelstein Populated places in Karakalpakstan Cities in Uzbekistan Fishing in the Soviet Union