Cédric Gras - Les routes de la soif : voyage aux sources de la mer d'Aral

An initiatory and engaging journey to the heart of Central Asia, following the trail of an endangered river. On the occasion of the 2025 edition of the "Étonnants voyageurs" festival in Saint-Malo, Cédric Gras presents his book "Les routes de la soif: voyage aux sources de la mer d'Aral" (The Thirst Routes: Journey to the Sources of the Aral Sea) published by Stock. Find the book: https://www.mollat.com/livres/3252057... In "Les routes de la soif," Cédric Gras invites us on a unique and essential journey through Central Asia, guided by the Amu Darya River. This region, familiar to the author, is today facing considerable water stress. The Amu Darya, the true "Nile of Central Asia," is the source of life for ancient and contemporary civilizations. Once a pillar of the Silk Roads, the river is now threatened by intensive irrigation, inherited from the Soviet era (particularly for cotton and rice cultivation), which has led to the drying up of the Aral Sea, its historical landing point. The idea for this project was born from a striking discovery during research for a previous book: the Fedchenko Glacier in the Pamirs, the longest mountain glacier in the world. Observing this immense reservoir of water, Cédric Gras became aware of its crucial role for the populations downstream. The glacier, along with the entire glacial archipelago of the Pamirs, constitutes the "water tower" of Central Asia. The book traces a journey from the dried-up Aral Sea to these glacial sources, meeting all those whose lives depend directly on the river. The journey is a deep immersion into the human realities of this region. The author met cotton pickers, fishermen whose livelihoods are no longer supported by the river of yesteryear, so wide that it hid the other bank, as well as civil servants and engineers working on water management. In Tajikistan, he explored the large dams, witnesses to human control over the river. In Turkmenistan, despite the difficulties associated with an authoritarian regime, he sought to capture the essence of life in the desert, still under the tutelage of the river. For Cédric Gras, traveling through Central Asia following the flow of water was the best way to understand this region, which opened up to travel for his generation. There he discovered an obvious fact, often forgotten in other latitudes: "Water is life." Beyond the geographical and hydrographic aspects, the subject of water proves to be the most intimate gateway to the inhabitants of Central Asia. The conversations, often heartfelt, testify to the fears and concerns of the populations facing the scarcity of this vital resource, as reflected in perceived threats such as the construction of a canal by the Taliban upstream. This book is a powerful and human testimony to the fragility of an ecosystem and the resilience of those who depend on it. 0:00 Introduction 0:10 Genesis of the project: the Amu Darya, the Nile of Central Asia. 0:24 The impact of irrigation on the river and the Aral Sea. 0:45 The discovery of the Fedchenko Glacier and the role of glaciers. 1:24 The project: sailing up the river from its sources to the Aral Sea. 1:41 Encounters along the river: fishermen, farmers, cotton pickers. 2:13 Authorities and infrastructure: dams and water ministries. 2:34 The challenges of the journey: the example of Turkmenistan. 2:48 The river as a guide: an intimate approach to Central Asia. 3:00 The openness of Central Asia and its appeal. 3:28 Water, a condition of life: an obvious fact rediscovered in the desert. 3:45 The human approach to the subject of water: fears and worries. 4:09 The threat from upstream: the example of the Taliban canal. Music notes: © mollat Subtitles automatically generated in French by YouTube. Visit the website: http://www.mollat.com/ Follow the Mollat ​​bookstore on social media: Instagram:   / librairie_mollat   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Librairie.mo... Twitter:   / librairiemollat   Linkedin:   / votre-libraire-mollat   Pinterest:   / librairiemollat   Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/mollat WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029...