Central Asia Water Papers: 1) 'Current Problems of Water Supply and Usage in Central Asia, Tian Shan Basin'; 2) 'A Time Bomb in Central Asia: WATER'

A couple more Central Asia water papers. I'm getting closer to the present; these are from 2013 and 2014, respectively.

1) Current Problems of Water Supply and Usage in Central Asia, Tian Shan Basin  by Polina Lemkova.

Download Current_Problems_of_Water_Supply_and_Usage

Abstract
The paper focuses on analysis of Central Asian hydro-energetic system and water usage in Tian Shan region. Tian Shan system is an important water resource in Central Asia: river waters are intensely taken for hydropower energy, urban systems, irrigation. But geopolitics in Tian Shan is difficult: it crosses five densely populated countries. The problem consists in water delivery between countries located in the highlands with excellent water supply (Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) and those located invalleys with water shortage (Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan). The water use causes debates among these countries. Besides, global warming causes water deficit, which adds difficulties to hydro-energetics. A multidisciplinary analysis was performed in the article: water supply in Tian Shan, spatial distribution of hydro energetic resources and effects of climate impact were analyzed.

 

2) A Time Bomb in Central Asia: WATER by Dursun Yildiz, Cuma Çakmak, Nuri Yildirim and Ediz Ekinci (published by the Hydropolitics Academy, Ankara, Turkey, September 2014)

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Foreword

Water connects us in the most fundamental way. We cannot survive without it. Moreover, water is intrinsically linked to the most immediate challenges we face today, including food security, health, climate change, economic growth, and poverty reduction.

 

Water problems in Asia today are severe one out of five people (700 million) does not have access to safe drinking water and half of the region’s population (1.8 billion people) lacks access to basic sanitation.As population growth and urbanization rates in the region rise, the stress on Asia’s water resources is rapidly intensifying. Climate change is expected to exacerbate the situation. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, by 2050, more than one billion people in Asia alone is projected to sustain negative impacts on water resources as a result of climate change .Experts estimate that reduced access to fresh water will lead to a range of consequences including impaired food production, the loss of livelihood security, large-scale migration within and across borders, and increased geopolitical tensions and instabilities.Over time, these effects will have a profound impact on security throughout the region.

 

 

Introduction

Central Asia's strategic waters Seyhun (Syr Darya) and the Ceyhan River (Amu Darya) had low potential to cause problems in the USSR era for having been managed by decisions from Moscow and through central planning. However, the situation has changed after the collapse of the USSR. One of the most important issues after the independence of the countries of Turkish World of Central Asia was how to maintain hydropower dams in the upstream and the irrigation system in the downstream which were remainders of the USSR era. Now the interests of the countries were to come forward. How would international water management in Central Asia be made in these changing conditions. The answer to this problem was directly related to the region's future.

 
Under the new conditions, operation of water structures as well as new dams which upstream countries planned to or even stepped up to construct were starting to cause tensions in the region. Water resources were being seen as national natural resources rather than collective ones. Water in Central Asia began to be politicized

 

This has resulted in an approach to water resources in the region in terms of either protection or defense of national interests. Thus, water issues have started to be seen as an element threatening regional security. For instance, in February 2009, President of Uzbekistan, Karimov, stated before the Council of Ministers that the nation's water resources was under threat and they had to protect the rights of future generations of Uzbeks.

 

The European Union in 2008 announced that water management in Central Asia was the most sensitive environmental issue and may develop as a serious security threat in the medium term in the entire region in the event that it was not treated accordingly.

 

Given the current situation of strategic waters of the Aral Sea basin, two categories of countries emerge. The first group being upstream countries of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan which rather use water for the purpose of producing hydropower, not consuming but releasing it to the riverbed once again. The other group consisting Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan consume water mostly for irrigation bringing about less water to reach the Aral Sea.

Enjoy!

"Be the head of a headwater rather than being the head of heads." - Kyrgyz proverb (from #2)

Comments

[Harry DENECKE]

Rapid population growth must be addressed as well. May be food security requires substituting cotton by food crops partially.

[Michael.]

Tien Shan is a mountain range, not a basin, as far as I am aware – probably a translation issue.
Thanks for these interesting papers!