Main Problems of Water Resources Use in Central Asia
The problems with water resources use appeared in Central Asia after 1991 when the USSR had broken up. Before this all problems concerning water use in the Central Asian republics were resolved from the center with regard to the interests of all parties a
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Contents 1 Introduction 2 Contradictions over Water 3 Potential Projects for Central Asia 4 International Experience 5 Conflict Potential 6 Climate Changes in Central Asia 7 Climate Change Tendencies 8 Climate Changes in Central Asia in the Twenty-First Century 9 Conclusions References
S. S. Zhiltsov (*) The Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia S.Yu. Witte Moscow University, Moscow, Russia e-mail: [email protected] I. S. Zonn Engineering Research Production Center for Water Management, Land Reclamation and Ecology “Soyuzvodproject”, Moscow, Russia S.Yu. Witte Moscow University, Moscow, Russia e-mail: [email protected] N. S. Orlovsky Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel e-mail: [email protected] A. V. Semenov S.Yu. Witte Moscow University, Moscow, Russia e-mail: [email protected] Igor S. Zonn, Sergey S. Zhiltsov, Andrey G. Kostianoy, and Aleksandr V. Semenov (eds.), Water Resources Management in Central Asia, Hdb Env Chem, DOI 10.1007/698_2020_601, © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
S. S. Zhiltsov et al.
Abstract The problems with water resources use appeared in Central Asia after 1991 when the USSR had broken up. Before this all problems concerning water use in the Central Asian republics were resolved from the center with regard to the interests of all parties and taking into account the goals and long-term plans of economic development of the Soviet Union. The Soviet system of water relations among republics was based on water sharing limits allotted to each of them and the balance of contractual obligations between the republics and the union center. The USSR disintegration entailed the breakup of the “common pot” principle, and the most sensitive issue here was water sharing. The system that had been operating for many decades collapsed leaving a wealth of unsettled claims which were primarily connected with determination of water intake volumes in conditions of the market economy, reduction of investments into the water use sector, changed operating regimes of large reservoirs (changeover from irrigation to power generation regimes), and others. Disintegration of the Soviet Union put forward the issue of water ownership. Likewise other resources, water happened to be divided by state borders of the new Central Asian states. The time when water was supplied free-of-charge in the USSR had come to an end. This forced the Central Asian countries to start negotiations and to become engaged in water diplomacy. However, the countries failed to reach agreement on direct pay for water, and the barter solutions were adopted: gas for water (Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), water for electricity (Tajikistan to Kazakhstan), etc. It is quite obvious that the actions to ensure water supply should outpace the formation of water needs or, at least, go abreast. Taking into account the time required for designing and construc
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