My research began a long time ago. Some 20 years back when I was still in high school, the topic of the vanishing Aral Sea would come up in newspapers. It wasn’t until I was an adult and became a parent, when I began paying closer attention to the news from the Aral region and the new shocking articles from scientists and experts of water distribution.
Shortly after I pitched this book and began working on the story arc, I needed to update my knowledge. I started with local libraries, then went to the bigger archives, then traveled to the Aral area to witness and document what I have learned.