Aral Sea Bank's restoration projects, especially in the North Aral, were giving rise to some unexpected, tentative relief in what had been an extremely pessimistic picture. The future of the Aral Sea and the responsibility for its survival are now in the hands of the five countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. In 1994, they adopted the Aral Sea Basin Programmme. The Programme's four objectives are: The first phase of the plan effectively began with the first involvement from the World Bank in 1992, and was in operation until 1997. It was ineffectual for a number of reasons, but mainly because
Seto Inland Sea Channel, which in turn connects to the Pacific Ocean. The western part of the Seto Inland Sea connects to the Sea of Japan through the Kanmon Straits and to the Pacific through the Bungo Channel. Each part of the Seto Inland Sea has a separate name in Japanese. For example, refers to the strait between Ehime, Yamaguchi, and Ōita prefectures in the western portion of the sea; is the open expanse west of the Geiyo Islands, near Hiroshima prefecture; and refers to the expanse between Yamaguchi prefecture and Suō-Ōshima. There are also many straits located between the major islands, as