English
A Source of Peace – Transboundary
Water Management in Central Asia
Central Asia comprises a region with scarce water resources and is particularly vulnerable to the effects of global climate change and the chronic overuse of reserves. At the same time, the economies of the five Central Asian states are highly interconnected as a con-sequence of their joint use of water from the two major rivers – the Syr Darya and Amu Darya – as well as other transboundary rivers. In the absence of alternatives, the water-rich countries on the upper reaches of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya Rivers (Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) rely heavily on hydropower for energy production in winter, while those downstream (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) mainly use the water to irrigate agricultural land. Inappropriate management of water resources has particularly exacerbated the situation. The environmental disaster of the Aral Sea is symptomatic of the precarious situation in the region.Scarcity of resources, inappropriate management and disparate interests are all factors that turn the distribution of water in Central Asia into a major source of potential tensions. Effective water management and cross-border cooperation, in contrast, can contribute to sustainable economic development and thus to stability and security in Central Asia.The Transboundary Water Management in Central Asia Pro-gramme implemented by GIZ is the most extensive element of the German Federal Foreign Office’s Central Asia Water Initia-tive (the “Berlin Process”). The Berlin Process is conceived of as a component of the EU strategy for a new partnership with Central Asia and is open to all players. The Water Initiative supports Central Asian states in water management and aims to set in train a process of political rapprochement leading to closer coopera-tion in the use of water resources and may result in joint water management in the long-term.
