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Putin’s Pipe Dream: Russian Scientists Discuss Project to “Redirect” Siberian Rivers
November 21st, 2025
Russian scientists have reportedly asked the Kremlin to fund a feasibility study on diverting water from Russia’s Ob River down to Central Asia. The $100B plan would see a massive plastic pipeline carry up to 22 cubic km (5.3 cubic miles) ofw ater through Kazakhstan into Uzbekistan annually. This idea builds upon a similar Soviet-era […]
Read more »Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa Canal and the Paradox of Central Asian Water Politics
September 11th, 2025
Via The Diplomat, a report on Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa Canal which – for Afghanistan – is a symbol of sovereignty and hope. For its neighbors, it is a looming ecological and economic crisis. As climate change accelerates and water resources in Central Asia continue to shrink, the construction of the massive Qosh Tepa Canal in […]
Read more »A Tale Of Two Nations: The North Aral Sea Rebounds While The South Aral Sea Dries Up
July 12th, 2025
Via Eurasia Review, a look at how – once a thriving inland sea – the Aral has become a cautionary tale of ecological collapse, political neglect, and uneven recovery, as efforts in Kazakhstan are bringing about a slow revival in the north, while Uzbekistan’s extractivist priorities leave the south gasping for life: Give a man […]
Read more »Securing Uzbekistan’s Water Future
May 22nd, 2025
Via The Diplomat, a look at how – by placing water security at the heart of its development agenda – Uzbekistan can build a resilient, equitable future that aligns economic ambition with environmental responsibility: Uzbekistan aims to become a middle-income economy by 2030. To achieve this, the authoritarian state has launched a series of ambitious economic […]
Read more »Water Diplomacy: Central Asia’s Uneasy Spring
April 1st, 2025
Via Havli, a report on Uzbekistan’s water talks with the Taliban: In this week’s episode of the CAPS Unlock podcast, we examine two separate but revealing stories that show how Central Asia is being shaped by forces well beyond its borders, be they military drones (launched by either Russia or Ukraine) or canals being built […]
Read more »Could Afghanistan’s Qoshtepa Canal Worsen Water Scarcity in Central Asia?
January 8th, 2025
Via The Diplomat, an article on a new report examining the impact of Afghanistan’s Qoshtepa Canal on water security in Central Asia? A new report from the Center for the National Interest, “Afghanistan’s Qoshtepa Canal and Water Security in Central Asia,” underscores the main technical, financial, and legal challenges confronting the Afghan interim authorities in […]
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