Water Crisis in Central Asia with emphasis on regional conflict over water Issue

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant professor, Faculty of Global studies, Tehran Universit

2 Ph. D Student of Political Scienc, Institute for Political Studies, Tajikistan Academy of Science

Abstract

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and independence of former Soviet UnionRepublics, previous economic relations among CentralAsianRepublics changed and were replaced with the market economy. Tensions have emerged between upstream and downstream countries located along Transboundary Rivers with downstream countries even resorting to threat of military action against possible restriction of river flow by upstream countries. Transboundary Rivers can, thus, be source of tensions and conflicts, as well as good neighborly relations across the world. Upstream countries can usually influence the process of economic and social development of downstream countries. They can change the course of such rivers or threaten to do that, thus directing downstream countries in line with their own policies. Best ways to overcome the water issue in Central Asia include efficient water management, meticulous family planning, encouraging decrease in population, integrated water management in cooperation with all stakeholders, and most importantly, cooperation and coordination among Central Asia countries. 

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