THE THREAT OF DRINKING WATER SHORTAGE IN CENTRAL ASIA

Abstract

This article examines the growing drinking water shortage in Central Asia as a multidimensional challenge crossing environmental, demographic, agricultural, and governance lines. It argues that the regional water crisis is not merely a technical issue, but a structural threat to public health, social stability, and regional security. Using the Aral Sea disaster as a historical warning, the study demonstrates how contemporary scarcity in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins is driven by both climate change, such as glacier retreat, and institutional failures, including outdated irrigation models. Focusing on Uzbekistan, a downstream state highly vulnerable to transboundary flows, the article analyzes the evolution of regional legal frameworks, allocation mechanisms, and the water-energy nexus. It evaluates Uzbekistan’s recent domestic policy shifts, notably its new Water Code, infrastructure modernization, and accession to the Protocol on Water and Health. Finally, by framing water access under international human rights law, the article advocates for a rights-based approach alongside efficiency reforms. It concludes that safeguarding Central Asia’s future stability requires a parallel commitment to robust domestic legal updates and unified, basin-wide cooperation.