There is a growing population in Central Asia, a growing economic demand, and a severe water shortage that requires greater adjustments as there is a need for greater coordination between governments and international aid groups, experts in the region say.
Wesley Alexander Hill, lead analyst at the Center for International Tax and Investment, said last week at Washington’s Atlantic Council Forum, “for local issues, including integration of regions into unique degrees.” Without a political solution, there is no solution to these water problems.”
Hill explained that the origins of the major rivers in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan depend heavily on the sources of Russia, China and Afghanistan.
He also has pledged to invest in water in Kazakhstan on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and the Qosh Tepa Canal, which has threatened to reduce water flow from Kush Kush in Afghanistan to downstream countries such as Uzbekistan and Turkey Menistan. It emphasized construction.
For many years, Central Asian governments have sought water-related agreements with Moscow, Beijing and Kabul.
Hill said modern water infrastructure in these countries would provide economic opportunities.
“Investing in water infrastructure and resources in Central Asia is not a philanthropy project,” he said. “It’s actually very beneficial. You should make a lot of money not only in Chinese and Russian companies, but also in areas where you canals are religious, as well as in the US and European companies.”
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, president of Second Floor Strategy, stressed the need for “realistic and rational policy recommendations” to achieve water security in Central Asia.
“We encourage local governments to implement technologies such as water measurement systems, drip irrigation and grey water recycling,” Sanchez told attendees at the forum.
He also called for policy makers to ensure accountability and transparency given the record records of corruption and embezzlement in Central Asia. He proposed to monitor water security projects by the International Audit Agency to build international trust.
Panelists at the Atlantic Council proposed a restructuring of the regional water adjustment committee, which was established in 1992, to the more effective Central Asia Water Council or permanent administrative office.
The Central Asian government already has its own initiative. Tajikistan, for example, leads the water process in Dushanbe, while Kazakhstan is planning to hold a Central Asia Water Environment Summit next year.
Sanchez and his colleagues encouraged the Central Asian Republic, whose representatives were on the forum, and worked with European and Asian partners not only in the US but also the Netherlands, France, Korea, and Japan.
Sanchez acknowledged that achieving unity and cooperation remains a challenge given regional geopolitics and domestic priorities.
“In the end, individual Central Asian nations cannot achieve full water safety and water independence without working with their neighbors to significantly improve water management,” he said.
For decades, international organizations and researchers have warned of ecological disasters in Central Asia, particularly the shrinking of the Aral Sea, which has lost most volume since the 1960s. The Caspian Sea, the only remaining main body of water in the region, is also dry.
Ariel Cohen, a senior non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, was also on the panel, noting the deterioration of infrastructure as an important issue.
“Modern irrigation techniques are not used, so much water is lost. Even Soviet-era canals, or even traditional pre-Soviet canals, are simply dug into the ground without protection from evaporation or dissipation That’s it,” Cohen said. “Moving into water, drip irrigation and sprinkler pipe distributions will likely save 50% of water consumption and move the area to a more balanced water management.”
Experts estimate that modernization will cost billions of dollars, and the question of where that money comes from is still open.
“If it doesn’t become the US, it’s going to be someone else. Best case scenario? If it’s not us (US), it’s Europeans. The worst scenario? It’s Chinese,” Cohen said. I did.
Other analysts listening to the panel said that other analysts who have heard the panel whether the Trump administration’s “America First” policy would support such involvement.
“We often focus on the big picture when we talk about Asian relations in the central US,” Sanchez said. “We need to diversify engagement between the US and Central Asia.”
Water security and environmental protection, he argued, was a shocking initiative, which would not only strengthen relations, but also improve the image of the US in Central Asia.
“We also want Central Asians to consider the United States as a friend,” Sanchez said.
