Russia and Central Asian water

you need water, thats for sure

while pundits and pseudo-intellectuals look to oil and religion as the root of the problem there, they overlook the basic necessity that overrides everything - water.

It's the same with Israel and its neighbors.

On a slight tangent it's interesting how in the new Bond flick, the evil organization isn't smuggling WMDs, or controlling oil, or dealign in drugs, etc... they were hoarding water for the coming times when fresh water becomes scarcer and whoever controls the water....

if there land wont sustain life they will have to migrate it been going all forever

What is going to happen to the livihood of those people, given the fact the they don't have clean water that they can drink. I seen past pods on current tv, with people whom have birth defects, and a high risk of cancer. The outlook on life without drinking water is not a very sustainable thing when you think about it.

I'm waiting to see where the first shot will be fired in the Water War of the 21st Century. People don't seem to be heeding the signs. The Aral Sea is depleted to only 20% of its former self, glaciers that feed the main rivers are melting as population increases in an area where arable land decreases as hunger increases. With all of these countries looking only to their own agendas instead of focusing on the overriding moral agenda, I truly wonder where this will all end.

wasting our time we should bail on the whole sorry middle east stop all aid use our own oil

You're right - what ARE we doing here again?

akikistan push for Central Asia water consortium

Excerpt:
Rahmon also reiterated his desire to expand Tajikistan’s hydro-power capacity. At present, the country is utilizing only about 5 percent of its generating capacity. This fact was brought home to Tajik citizens during the frigid winter, when most areas of the country were left for extended periods without heat or electricity. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Planned power stations, especially along the Vakhsh River, would largely eliminate the possibility of future shortages, Rahmon suggested. The construction of power stations would also regulate the flow of water in many of Central Asia’s most important rivers.

Kyrgyz President Bakiev announced after discussions with Vladimir Putin. In exchange for Russian aid, NATO presence will be curtailed."In this case, millions of hectares of land, in particular in downstream countries of the region, will be saved from the danger of flood and drought," Rahmon argued.

Despite the apparent need for urgent action, Rahmon’s consortium idea has received an enthusiastic endorsement only from Kyrgyzstan. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan alone do not possess the economic muscle needed to undertake ambitious infrastructure projects.

Kazakhstan has offered to assist in developing hydropower development, but Astana is wary of Dushanbe’s desire to tie water to energy. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, has remained hostile to Tajikistan’s development plans, fearing that an expansion of Dushanbe’s power-generating capability would inversely diminish Tashkent’s political influence in Central Asia.

During his conference speech, Rahmon said "the present time demands that we take urgent measures." While he was referring to all Central Asian states, his words resonated particularly among Tajiks.

According to the Tajikistan’s Committee for Emergency Situations, water-related disasters over the past decade have caused more than 300 deaths and inflicted over $65 million in damage.
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Why are we in Afghanistan again?

To me it does not seem feasible for Central Asia to now be pursuing hydoelectric projects (dams) in light of the persistant and pervasively severe drought that has been affecting water resources and agriculture in this area of the world for several years already:

http://gis.uml.edu/mediawiki/index.php/Central_Asia_drought_and_greenup

Also, with population movement in recent years due to these conditions there are more people living in landlocked areas with less arable land who depend on that land for food. This is also the area of the Syr Darya and Anu Darya Rivers which are fed by glaciers that are now receding due to climate change.

I believe in the future it will become harder for countries to come together to work out plans for hydroelectric power in regions such as this when food is scarce due to lack of water resources. This is why I am such a big proponent of solar energy. It would surely solve their water management problems in this region. At least in regards to having more to use for agricultural purposes. I also notice that in these articles when leaders of countries speak on this they rarely mention conservation, more efficient irrigation methods, and switching to different crops to be grown to save water. Cotton is a popular crop grown in this region, but it is also very water intensive.

With a humanitarian crisis already affecting millions in this area due to the depletion of the Aral Sea for agriculture years ago, I would hope people in this region would learn from the mistakes of the past.

From a strategic standpoint it also now makes perfect sense as to why the Russian president has now volunteered to "help" America in Afghanistan. It takes water to extract natural gas. Water surely will be and is fast becoming the new oil.

Excerpt from article:

The equitable division of these waters remains at the heart of the contentions, with the downstream agrarian states both seeking regular water discharges for irrigation while maintaining that water is not a resource for which they should be charged. In turn, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan maintain that if fiscal or energy assistance is not received to tide them over through the bitter winter months, they will release the water during the autumn and winter to generate electricity as they have no other power options, whatever the agrarian concerns of their downstream neighbors.

It is not as if the Stans have not attempted to grapple with the issue. In 1992 the five countries established the Interstate Coordinating Water Commission to formulate a regional solution to the problem, but despite more than 50 meetings during the last 16 years, little of note has been accomplished, leaving each country to pursue its own interests or bilateral relations.