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An Elegy For The Amu Darya River
March 6th, 2024
Courtesy of Guernica, a look at how – in so many ways – human behavior is emptying the Amu Darya: Most mighty rivers enjoy a spectacular finale: a fertile delta, a mouth agape to the sea, a bay of plenty. But it had taken me almost a week to find where the Amu Darya comes […]
Read more »Afghan Canal Will Divert Water from Uzbekistan
February 28th, 2024
Via the Times of Central Asia, an article on progress of the second phase of the Oosh Tepa Canal project: Afghanistan has begun construction of the second phase of the Qosh Tepa Canal, which will divert water from the Amu Darya River and may have an adverse effect on agriculture in downstream Uzbekistan. The Taliban announced that […]
Read more »Japan’s Role in Healing the Aral Sea and Engaging Central Asia
February 20th, 2024
Courtesy of The Diplomat, a look at Japan’s role in healing the Aral Sea: Multiple international actors have become involved in helping Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan alleviate the devastating consequences of one of the worst human-made environmental disasters across the Central Asian region: the loss of the Aral Sea. One notable partner in these endeavors is […]
Read more »Central Asia’s Water Crisis Is Already Here
January 2nd, 2024
Via The Diplomat, an article on what it will it take for Central Asian states to sustainably adapt to climate change, particularly the regional water crisis that is already underway: Over the course of 2023, Central Asia grappled with escalating challenges stemming from climate change, including disruptive weather patterns affecting long-standing agricultural practices and the […]
Read more »Taliban Vow To Finish Disputed Canal At ‘Any Cost’
December 10th, 2023
Via Nikkei Asia, a report on the Taliban’s vow to finish a disputed canal at ‘any cost’ despite its Central Asian neighbors crying foul over its plans to tap shared river: A massive canal project in Afghanistan has alarmed the country’s neighbors over fears it will drain a river key to their agricultural economies, but […]
Read more »Here’s How the World Looks When We Use Up All of Our Water
November 28th, 2023
Courtesy of The New York Times, an article on the Aral Sea whose demise holds sobering lessons for our water scarce future: Walking toward the shrinking remnants of what used to be the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan was like entering hell. All around was a desert devoid of life, aside from scrubby saxaul trees. Dust […]
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