Final answer:
The statement claiming the Aral Sea as an example of successful international cooperation in water-resource management is false. The Aral Sea has suffered a severe ecological crisis due to unsustainable irrigation practices that have nearly destroyed the local fishing industry and environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the Aral Sea provides a good illustration of international cooperation in water-resource management and has the additional benefit of enhancing commercial fishing opportunities is false. In reality, the Aral Sea is a stark example of a dire ecological crisis that resulted from human action. The diversion of water from its inflow rivers, primarily for agricultural irrigation, led to a dramatic shrinkage of the sea, causing extensive environmental damage and the collapse of the commercial fishing industry.
In the northern part called the Little Aral Sea, Kazakhstan has made efforts to restore water levels through the construction of a dam and improved irrigation management. This has led to some revival of the local fishing industry. However, the larger southern portion of the Aral Sea, primarily in Uzbekistan, has continued to deteriorate, with no significant restoration or international cooperation evident. Multinational companies have been contracted to explore oil in the now dry seabed, further detracting from the environmental condition.
The decline of the Aral Sea is one of the biggest environmental disasters in history, caused entirely by humans. It is a lesson in the unsustainable diversion of river water leading to catastrophic results for local economies and ecosystems, similar to other cases such as Lake Chad in Africa and the Dead Sea in the Middle East.