The new “Silk Road Economic Belt” as a threat to the sustainable management of Central Asia’s transboundary water resources

Abstract

Central Asia is well known for its history of water mismanagement. The rapid, catastrophic demise of the Aral Sea is testament to the unsustainable water diversion practices introduced by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and the failure of the five sovereign nations,

The Paradox of Water Management Projects in Central Asia: An Institutionalist Perspective

“…To fully appreciate this point, recall that Uzbekistan is a very densely populated country. Howard and Howard [57] mention that the average population density was 67.5 inhabitants per square kilometer in 2012 reaching 460 inhabitants per square kilometer in the Ferghana Valley regions [55] compared with a ratio of 6.3 inhabitants per square kilometer in neighboring Kazakhstan. Additionally, according to the World Bank Group [58], two thirds of the Uzbek population live in rural areas.…”

Central Asian ‘Characteristics’ on China’s New Silk Road: The Role of Landscape and the Politics of Infrastructure

“…Meanwhile, Reeves [50] examines how infrastructure brings hope as well as roads and questions territorial integrity. The varied discourses highlighted in this scholarship stresses Central Asian limitations in institutional capacity [51], environmental governance [52], and interaction with China [3] that are integral to a discussion on OBOR. Though land degradation and water stress are documented in the region [53,54], connections between landscape, infrastructure, and land use, critical to OBOR implementation, have not been investigated.…”

“…The city was destroyed in a 1911 earthquake when shocks reached Kyrgyzstan; it is at high risk for another quake [57]. Central Asia's 'appalling record of water management' due to unsustainable use, dysfunctional systems, and poor cooperation among states suggests that the potential economic benefits come with high environmental costs and barriers [52] (p. 976). Environmental management has become a contentious issue in Central Asia as former Soviet comrades have become independent, and interdependent, nations where water is linked to energy and security [54].…”

“…This may include project siting, adequate resources such as water for both the project build and ongoing functioning, and land degradation and rehabilitation [52]. Roles for local communities, jobs, livelihood changes, and security are unstated.…”

Cultivating hope for a better future: research contributions from young scholars in earth and environmental sciences

“…Uncertainty drives scientific curiosity and thirst for knowledge and solutions, but it can also lead to insecurity, anxiety, and fear. Few will dispute that life on earth is becoming increasingly threatened by environmental problems such as air pollution, water contamination, and degradation of soils, issues that can be commonly linked to unregulated human activities and irresponsible policymaking (Currell and Han 2017;Howard and Howard 2016;Li et al 2014Li et al , 2015Li et al , 2017a. But, how will these environmental problems affect our future and how can they be resolved?…”