These circumstances significantly reduce the efficiency of water and energy resource use, making food security particularly vulnerable and leading to substantial economic losses.
The EDB emphasizes that a comprehensive approach, taking into account regional specifics, is necessary to address these issues.
“Water resources in Central Asia, used for irrigation and energy production, come from two main transboundary rivers — the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya.
However, the distribution of these resources is extremely disproportionate: 77% of the annual runoff is formed in the upper reaches — Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, while 85% of water resources are consumed for irrigation in the lower reaches — Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan,” the analysts note.
Experts believe that multilateral development banks (MDBs) can play an important role as a linking element in addressing regional issues and challenges in water and energy security.
