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Central Asian Water: The Thirsty Dragon, The Aral Sea, and Ongoing Dilemmas
January 23rd, 2009
As we have discussed in this blog previously, Central Asian countries are divided into water suppliers (the mountainous countries of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) and water consumers (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). But the Central Asian water crisis is not just about the fate of the Aral Sea. It is about the management of the entire basin, including […]
Read more »Could Siberian River Water Be Diverted to Save a Drying/Dying Aral Sea?
December 6th, 2008
Via Window on Eurasia, an interesting look at how the rapid drying up of the Aral Sea in Central Asia – it is likely to completely disappear within months – has sparked new interest in the possibility that Moscow could divert Siberian river water to the region to save not only the sea but also […]
Read more »Enhancing Regional Cooperation on Central Asian Waterways
October 29th, 2008
As recently reported by the European Water News, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is aiming to enhance regional cooperation on vital Central Asian waterways whose management and protection are crucial to the region’s economic growth and social well-being. As the article notes: “…The Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers, which criss-cross a large part of […]
Read more »Holes in the Dike: Prospects for the Central Asian Water Accord Holding
October 27th, 2008
Via Windows on Eurasia, a sanguine – but possibly quite realistic – view on the potential of the recently announced Central Asian water accord holding due to the complexity of the agreement and the widening differences in wealth/growth of the member states. As the article notes: “…After the CIS summit in Bishkek, the five post-Soviet […]
Read more »A Central Asian Regional Water Agreement?
October 21st, 2008
Via The Institute of War and Peace, a report that increasing demand for water is making it more likely that Uzbekistan will accept a regional arrangement where all the Central Asian states share in the costs of using the rivers that run through their territories. As the article notes: “…At the October 10 meeting of […]
Read more »Central Asia: Syr Darya Basin Disagreement
September 15th, 2008
Via Red Orbit, news that the Syr Darya basin countries (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan) have failed to agree on the rational use of river water and whether it should be formally designates as a trans-boundary water body. As the article notes: “…The heads of water and energy facilities in the Central Asian states admitted that […]
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