By Ben Acheson.

Water takes on a special importance in Central Asia, not only because agricultural production of water-intensive crops is the lifeblood of the economy in the five states, but also because trans-boundary waters extend hydrological interdependence across national borders, linking users in different countries within a shared system. Consequently, water is often included in the national security agenda’s of the Central Asian Republics because of its potential to fuel conflicts between and within regional states). 

Currently, the water situation in Central Asia is facing serious problems;- the Aral Sea is still shrinking, upstream and downstream countries are disputing water release regimes and water distribution, energy and irrigation sectors are competing, water ecosystems are deteriorating further and climate change may irreversibly decrease water availability. Additionally, the problems seem set to intensify if or when Afghanistan begins to stabilise and divert more water from the Amu Darya River.

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