Water Will Rank Alongside Oil In Parched Central Asian Nations - AFP

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"Drinking water could become so scarce in Central Asia that it could rank alongside oil or gold in terms of importance for the resource-rich region, local experts say. In perspective there will be a great problem with drinking water in this region, where the demand for it has doubled," Tajikistan's Water Industry Minister Abdukodir Nazirov noted.

"Population figures have doubled over the past 30 years and may reach 72 million by 2025 as compared to today's 56 million," Nazirov said, adding that irrigation projects in ex-Soviet Central Asia are also to blame. "These factors guarantee that water deficit will grow and if Central Asian states are unable to address this deficit adequately, it will lead to an inevitable conflict," executive chief of the Central Asia regional ecologic center Bulat Esekin warned.

The area takes its water mostly from the great rivers of Amudarya and Syrdarya, with over 80 percent of Central Asia's water reserves concentrated in the mountains of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Conversely, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are shut out of the growing oil and gas trade in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. "Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are interested in building new hydro power stations and selling electricity, while the countries downriver -- Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan -- would use the water to irrigate their fields in summer," Tajik energy expert Georgy Petrov said."

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/2005/050603033706.1hy4gj3j.html