As foreign as this sounds to people living in Western, civilized countries, water scarcity affects over two billion people worldwide and is one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century.
Several factors, including climate change, population growth, and poor resource management, exacerbate the crisis, threatening food security, public health, and economic stability. By 2050, water stress could reduce GDP in affected regions by up to 8% and heighten resource disputes, increasing conflict risks.
While water scarcity is a global problem, Central Asia is particularly vulnerable because the region’s vital water resources—such as the Caspian Sea and the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers—are being rapidly depleted. The Arya Sea is essentially gone.
Over 82 million people across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan rely on these shared water sources for agriculture, industry, and daily life.
Global warming is accelerating glacial melt in the Pamir and Tian Shan mountains, threatening long-term freshwater availability for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The crisis extends beyond the region. The shrinking Caspian Sea, for example, threatens biodiversity and disrupts economic stability, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – a key trade link between Asia and Europe.
The water crisis in Central Asia is not just a local concern but a global issue with far-reaching implications for trade, food security, migration, and geopolitical stability.
Instability in Central Asia could disrupt trade routes and security across the region. China, a significant trading partner, could face potential supply chain disruptions, rising food costs, and intensified competition for water, all jeopardizing its economic growth.
Dwindling water supplies and increasing desertification worsen the situation, which could lead to mass migration, strain neighboring regions, and threaten Eurasian stability.
Addressing the water crisis in Central Asia requires immediate and coordinated action to manage water resources and mitigate global impacts.
Regional collaboration and international support are essential to ensuring long-term stability for Central Asia and beyond, as highlighted by initiatives like the recent One Water Summit in Riyadh, which sought to accelerate action on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) and discuss solutions to water challenges in preparation for the 2026 UN Water Conference.
By providing a platform for dialogue and action, the One Water Summit emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to address water insecurity in Central Asia and beyond.
France, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, and the World Bank co-organized the summit, which brought together leaders of the three countries, as well as other government representatives and stakeholders, to advance sustainable water management.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined Kazakhstan’s approach to tackling global and regional water challenges. Highlighting Kazakhstan’s commitment to universal access to clean water, he announced the country’s participation in the global Freshwater Challenge, which is focused on ensuring universal access to clean water for all. He also proposed a Partnership for Global Glacier Research, emphasizing the vital role glaciers play in the water cycle and the need for collaborative action to prevent their disappearance.
Tokayev also announced plans to host a UN-supported Regional Climate Conference in 2026.
While these efforts are a positive start, they must be expanded and strengthened to address the complexities of water scarcity and safeguard regional and global stability.
Unfortunately, negotiators failed to reach an agreement on how to deal with droughts.
The 12-day meeting of parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), known as COP16, concluded early, a day later than scheduled, as parties tried to hammer out a deal.
Before the talks, UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said the world expected negotiators "to adopt a bold decision that can help turn the tide on the most pervasive and the most disruptive environmental disaster: drought.”
Thiaw acknowledged that "parties need more time to agree on the best way forward.”
However, solutions do exist.
For instance, Kazakhstan, the most industrialized nation in Central Asia, has proactively addressed environmental and water challenges.
Its Green Economy Plan, adopted in 2013, aims to generate 50% of energy from renewable sources by 2050, while its carbon neutrality strategy targets a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2060. These efforts are complemented by a goal to increase the share of renewables in the energy mix from 3% to 15% and reduce coal’s share from 69% to 40%.
Additionally, Kazakhstan’s tree-planting campaign has seen 843 million trees planted between 2021 and 2023, with plans for 2 billion more by 2027.
Such initiatives demonstrate how integrated approaches can align water management with environmental sustainability.
However, modernizing Central Asia’s water infrastructure is essential to resolving its water crisis.
Tackling non-revenue water (NRW) – losses from leaks, illegal use, or unbilled consumption – is critical, as up to 60% of water is lost due to aging systems and poor management.
Agriculture, which uses most of the region’s water, must incorporate sustainable practices. Crops like cotton, wheat, and rice dominate, and technologies such as drip irrigation and infrastructure upgrades can improve water efficiency without reducing productivity.
Initiatives like China’s irrigation project in Kyrgyzstan demonstrate solutions that will benefit 20,000 people and improve irrigation.
Enhanced real-time data sharing through regional initiatives can address immediate challenges and build long-term resilience.
The One Water Summit has demonstrated the potential of international collaboration to tackle water crises, but countries must engage in stronger teamwork if we want to solve this together.
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