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The Thirsty Dragon: Addressing Water Insecurity in Central Asia – A Steppe on the One Belt, One Road Initiative?
May 25th, 2017
Courtesy of Future Directions International, an interesting look at Key Points Central Asia is integral to Chinese efforts to increase its global connectivity. Natural resource constraints, including access to water, could undermine its influence in the region. Given the legacy of failed foreign water infrastructure in the region, any Chinese efforts to address water insecurity […]
Read more »Simmering Down: Why Uzbekistan’s Shifts on Water Politics Matter
April 27th, 2017
Via The Diplomat, a look at how recent statements from Uzbek officials drop previous vitriol in favor of diplomatic neighborliness: By all indications, the first four months of Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s tenure as Uzbekistan’s head have seen the new leader place his own stamp on the presidency. While certain of Tashkent’s broader foreign policy prescriptions — […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Will Central Asia Water Wars Derail China’s Silk Road?
March 29th, 2017
Courtesy of The Diplomat, a look at China’s need to be wary of a looming water crisis in Central Asia: It wasn’t until the second century BC that ancient China arguably discovered the true potential of Central Asia’s geostrategic golden ticket. As the then-reigning Han Dynasty set out to formally establish a network of trade routes […]
Read more »Will Central Asia Fight Over Water Resources?
February 10th, 2017
Via Forbes, a look at Central Asia’s water pressure: Water has always been a major cause of wars and border conflicts in the Central Asian region. For being one of the greatest geographical regions, Central Asia has limited water resources. Modern history of the region has been fueled with various ethnic and territorial clashes. Apparently, […]
Read more »Can China Solve Central Asia’s Impending Water Crisis?
February 2nd, 2017
Via The National Interest, a report on the potential opportunity for China to take the lead in mediating water disputes among Central Asian countries: China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative has become a major foreign policy priority. The land-based Silk Road Economic Belt aims to expand China’s economic connections and political influence across much of […]
Read more »Tajikistan: Progress on Rogun Dam Risks Renewing Tension With Uzbekistan
October 25th, 2016
Courtesy of STRATFOR (subscription required), analysis of potential risks arising from the construction of a controversial dam in Tajikistan: Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have made an effort to improve their relationship in the past few months, but recent advances in the construction of a controversial dam could undo some of the progress they have made. According […]
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