Globalization, Water and Changing Policies in the Aral Sea Basin
Abstract
The above illustrated case-factors are the products of the globalization process affecting water security situation in the Aral Sea basin, and they will continue to contribute to shape the future of water politics in the Aral Sea basin. If to look through the prism of water security issues than it appears that globalization has, in many respects, negative implications for the development of downstream countries in the basin. Economic development of these countries is largely predetermined by further progresses achieved in agricultural sector, whose further improvement, in turn, depends on sustainable and guaranteed water delivery. At the national level, the significance of water’s role in the economy is readily illustrated by the comparison of the gross figures for the proportions of water used in various sectors of an economy and the relevant GDP figures. In the Aral Sea Basin, agricultural sector consumes 85% of water and generates close to 30% of the GDP. Moreover, it creates jobs for overwhelming majority of the working population whose very livelihoods and their quality depend on incomes generated in the sector. This makes us to conclude that it is crucial achieve and ensure that any decisions regarding major water management investments affecting overall water management regime must be made with the full participation of all riparian countries; otherwise this will undermine trust and the foundation of regional cooperation in the sphere. Ultimately, Central Asian leadership should recognize the limitations to the extra-regional forces in the dynamics of water politics and must give consideration to them in their strategic planning and decision-making.