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Water Security in Central Asia: an overview

June 2018

Authors:

Stefanos Xenarios

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Iskandar Abdullaev

International Water Management Institute

Central Asia (CA) is one of the few regions in the world where water security is inextricably linked with energy, food, and the environment. A vast network of rivers flows into the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, the two main water bodies of CA, which cross the entire region before emptying into the Aral Sea. The upstream countries of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan host the mountain ranges of Karakoram, Pamir, and Tien Shan, called the ‘’water towers’’ of CA which accommodate some of the largest glaciers in the world outside of the polar regions [1]. The downstream countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan are situated on large plains, which have been mainly converted to extensive irrigated lands while they are also endowed with abundant hydrocarbon (coal, oil, and gas) resources [2].

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Current and Future Challenges of Water Security in Central Asia

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