Balancing the use of water resources in the Amu Darya Basin

Central Asia and Afghanistan are abundant in natural resources, including land, water and energy. However, in the Amu Darya Basin, there is an imbalanced use of water resources between the different economic and livelihoods needs of all basin countries.

The major characteristics of the Amu Darya River include its transboundary nature, its division between hydropower use and irrigation use, and most importantly, the extent to which these two uses can be regulated. The lack of inclusive management and the lack of mutually agreed regulatory regimes of the Amu Darya Basin lead to challenges related to the balance of water usage between energy production and agriculture in the upstream and downstream of the Amu Darya Basin.

This policy brief reviews the major issues of balancing water usage in the Amu Darya Basin as well as the challenges to equitable water governance. It is the result of the collaborative work of the Amu Darya Basin Network.

Summary Policy Brief "Balancing the use of water resources in the Amu Darya Basin"