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Central Asia's Water Resources: Contemporary and Future Management Issues

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 meant that overnight the newly independent Central Asian Republics (CARs) had to assume responsibility for the management and maintenance of a huge, poorly managed and maintained water distribution and irrigation system. Problems emerged almost immediately with a lack of funds virtually halting maintenance programmes. The decline of the system has been marked and it is likely that major failures will occur in the near future. Tension over access to water is also increasing and despite public assurance regarding regional cooperation over water-resource allocation a number of recent incidents suggest this is more political rhetoric than reality. The situation is likely to deteriorate as government backed policies coupled with predicted population increases mean that water resources will become stressed and demand will far outstretch supply. This paper presents a brief review of past water-management strategies, outlines current problems and highlights the challenges which Central Asia's leaders face as they strive to develop a water-management strategy to ensure the economic and social well-being of the region into the 21st century .