Water scarcity is becoming a major challenge for Central Asia in the medium term, said Sultan Akimbekov, Director of the Institute for Asian Studies, Kazinform.kz reports.
Population growth and climate change are worsening the situation, he noted.
“The most serious problem for Central Asia is water. Given the region’s population density, this issue demands urgent action,” Akimbekov stressed.
Particular concern, he said, is the Kushtepa Canal in Afghanistan, already diverting 20–40% of the Amu Darya’s flow — the main water source for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. While the Taliban act within international norms, inefficient water use deepens the crisis.
Akimbekov called for measures such as concrete-lining canals and seeking UN-backed international assistance. Melting glaciers in Kazakhstan — shrinking by 1% annually — also threaten water supply to the country’s south, where the population has grown tenfold over the past century.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 15, 2025