The Aral Sea Basin Crisis and Sustainable Water Resource Management in Central Asia

Abstract

This article traces the historical development of water resource management in Central Asia, focusing on the causes of the cur rent Aral Sea Basin crisis. It examines the obstacles facing the Central Asian republics in addressing this problem and offers predictions regarding the future state of the region’s ecology, economy, and stability, as well as the health of the region’s people. The article also explains how existing plans of action have been largely ineffective and why restoring the Aral Sea to its original state is an impossible task. Finally, it provides feasible policy recommendations on how to prevent the further mismanagement of the region’s water while maintaining viable levels of economic development and population growth.