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Central Asian Drought Highlights Water Vulnerability
July 12th, 2021
Via Third Pole, a report on how – as parts of the region experience the worst drought in 13 years – experts say Central Asian governments must urgently look at options to mitigate extreme weather events: A severe drought in Central Asia is causing mass livestock die-offs and shortages of water for irrigation. In two […]
Read more »Military Clashes in Central Asia Over Water Likely to Grow
June 26th, 2021
Via Window on Eurasia, an article on water stress in Central Asia: The military conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was in the first instance about the lack of agreement between the two countries over control of water flows. That conflict cost 55 dead and about 300 wounded and forced tens of thousands of people to […]
Read more »Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Talk Dams, Not Rogun
June 22nd, 2021
Via The Diplomat, an article on Tashkent’s strategy to delicately remove itself from discussing Dushanbe’s Rogun dam, instead offering alternatives: Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid an official visit to Dushanbe on June 10-11. It was Mirziyoyev’s second visit to the Tajik capital since his presidency began in 2016. In 2018, Mirziyoyev made a state visit to […]
Read more »Tajikistan Shares Irrigation Water With Kazakhstan
June 7th, 2021
Via EurasiaNet, a report on Tajikistan’s agreement to divert 315 million cubic meters to help Kazakhstan avoid a summer of drought: Geopolitical analysts routinely point to Central Asia as a likely potential flashpoint for conflicts over water resources, but one fresh development is serving to show how more virtuous scenarios are also possible. This week, the […]
Read more »Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan: Solving Water Puzzle Key to Preventing Fresh Fighting
May 24th, 2021
Via EurasiaNet, a report on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan’s water tensions: Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan may be inching closer than ever to hashing out a border delimitation deal that will end decades of territorial ambiguity. Less talk has been devoted, however, to the mechanisms for sharing and managing precious water resources. Until that happens, deadly conflict like […]
Read more »Water and Land Disputes Turn Violent Along Ambiguous Kyrgyz-Tajik Border
May 14th, 2021
Via Circle of Blue, a report on water disputes along the ambiguous Kyrgyz-Tajik border: The border shared by Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is a strip of hard-edged hills and scoured ridges. Apricot orchards occupy scarce flatlands and oxen graze on thinning fields of green. Nearly half of the 600-mile border remains unofficial and non-delineated, a Soviet-era […]
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