Category: <span>Central Asia</span>

New Baikal Water-Pipe Craze Sheds Light on the Origins of the Orkhon-Gobi Water Transfer Project

  It became a tradition every spring to propose a new mega-pipeline to quench thirst in arid corners of Asia. Last year it was done by the Russian Minister of Agriculture Mr.Tkachev , in 2013 by the President of Mongolia Elbegdorj… The Global Times published a series of articles on …

NORTH EURASIA HYDROPOWER IN 2016

An Overview At the end 2016 the news from our sub-continent, North Eurasia, news are bittersweet but quite hopeful: 1. Mongolia-Russia-China: Chinas agencies and Exim Bank in early April 2016 have frozen a loan and preparatory construction works for 315 MW Eg River Hydro in Lake Baikal Basin in Mongolia …

Construction of the Rogun Dam, the tallest and the most controversial, started in Tajikistan

Tajikistan on October 29th started construction of the controversial $3.9 billion USD Rogun hydropower dam on the Vakhsh River. The dam – designed with a height of 335m – is part of the 3600MW Rogun hydroelectric project (started in 1976), which may become the largest hydroelectric project in the region …

Bridging the UNECE’s Mechanisms and the Silk Road Strategy

  I represent the Rivers without Boundaries International Coalition (RwB), that works for sustainable management of transboundary river basins in Northern Eurasia -Russia, Mongolia and Central Asia. I am here to raise awareness of potential challenges induced by China’s New Silk Road Strategy that is becoming a driver for development …

“Surplus Russian water” to quench Xinjiang’s thirst?

Altai floodwater could be sent to parched Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, says Russian agriculture minister. Picture by Sarukhanov. Novaya Gazeta. ‘We are ready to offer the project of the transfer of fresh water from the Altai region of Russia through Kazakhstan to arid Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of …

Will conflict over water in Central Asia grow into a “water war”?

  Fragile agreement on Aral Sea Basin water resource management  is likely getting a decisive blow from Kyrgyzstan. Upstream country threatens to leave agreement May 19,2016 Kyrgyzstan decided to "freeze" its participation in the activities of International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website reported. …