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Opinion
Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis
Central Asian rivers shape Eurasian trade flows, affect global food markets and contribute to geopolitical instability across the region
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Genevieve Donnellon-May is a geopolitical and global strategy adviser interested in regional resource conflict and environmental governance in Asia and Africa.
Central Asia’s water insecurity may seem a distant concern. But its rivers underpin Eurasian trade corridors, sustain global food markets and power regional energy systems. As water stress worsens, this is no longer just an environmental issue but a strategic threat across Eurasia – demanding urgent attention in Beijing, Brussels and beyond.
Central Asia is warming twice as fast as the global average, accelerating glacier retreat in mountain ranges that act as natural reservoirs. As a result, flows in the major transnational rivers are becoming more volatile while droughts grow more frequent. These shifts strain agriculture and hydropower, undermine rural livelihoods and deepen socio-economic vulnerabilities across the region.
For Beijing, these risks are immediate. Western China and Central Asia share key river basins, making water security a cross-border concern. Unpredictable flows strain agriculture and industry in Xinjiang, while water scarcity compounds socio-economic pressures in sensitive border regions – an issue Beijing monitors closely.
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