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Study: Central Asia’s Water Tower to Lose One-third of Glacier Mass by 2040
March 4th, 2026
Courtesy of The Diplomat, reports on a new study that suggests Central Asia’s water tower will lose 1/3 of its glacier mass by 2040: The Tian Shan mountains, also known as the water tower of Central Asia, are a crucial source of water for regional agriculture, industries, and millions of people across the Central Asian […]
Read more »Drought May Test Central Asia’s New Cooperative Approach
March 4th, 2026
Via The Diplomat, a look at whether the new ties that bind Central Asian countries strong enough to weather drought? Every year, rain and snow that falls in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan provides water for millions within their borders. Winter snow in the mountains melts in spring to fill hydropower reservoirs. Summer rain waters crops. But […]
Read more »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 […]
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