Water shortages are considered to represent the main impediment to the development of Central Asian countries both under present-day conditions and for the future. The expected increase in water consumption is bound to stiffen competition for water both on regional and national levels between irrigation for farms, hydropower generation and other sectors of the Central Asian economy. Irrigation accounts for more than 90% of all water intake from the region’s rivers. The pressing need to preserve food and energy security is set to boost water consumption even further, thereby aggravating frictions between the states in the region.
The states of the Aral Sea basin all face the task of enhancing more effective and economical use of water, management or water demand, and finding a compromise between the interests of upstream and downstream states. Moreover, there is the need to serve the requirements of both water users and ecosystems. Considering the special role of water resources in socioeconomic development of Central Asian countries, EC IFAS and the Regional Hydrology Centre (RHC) with the technical assistance of the EDB prepared a report on the core consequences of climate change on the region’s water resources. These institutions also provided an assessment of the exposure of water resources to the effects of their cross-border use.
Topics: Climate Change, Environment, IWRM, Transboundary Water Management, Water Management,
Keywords:
Agriculture, Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Hydrology, IWRM, Transboundary water issues, Water Management,