The Caspian Sea, vital to Eurasia’s economy and environment, is shrinking at an alarming rate. The declining water level in the sea is one visible consequence of a larger regional water crisis faced by the C5 nations of Central Asia—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This water crisis threatens the more than 82 million people who call the largely arid region home.
A forthcoming Atlantic Council report b , “Water insecurity in Central Asia: The need for collective action,” explores the global resources that can be mobilized and to what ends they can be quickly directed. This report will provide a practical roadmap that regional and international actors can employ to solve problems in the near and medium terms without massively increasing investments.
The article about the report closes:
“The lack of a secure water supply is an existential threat to Central Asia that can have negative ramifications, including conflicts over water, that could extend far beyond the region. The United States and the West would be wise to have a seat at the table and become involved in helping Central Asia steer a course toward a more stable—and more Western-friendly—future by helping to ensure that the region’s insecurity does not cross the line into outright water starvation. By providing capital and technical knowledge that China and Russia do not possess or have not offered, the United States can help avert a worsening crisis in the region while reducing Central Asian states’ dependencies on Moscow and Beijing.”
Read the full article on the website of the Atlantic Council
