Water Security in Central Asia: An Overview

Stefanos Xenarios, Ronan Shenhav, Iskandar Abdullaev, Alberto Mastellari

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Abstract

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.
Original languageEnglish
JournalWater Solutions
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - Jun 3 2018

Keywords

  • Transboundary Water Resources
  • Water resources management
  • Water Governance
  • Climate change
  • Central Asia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Safety Research

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