"War in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: Freshwater Scarcity and the Path to Peace"

As climate change intensifies, its effects on the natural environment are becoming increasingly visible. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. This transformation of the environment threatens access to natural resources, limits economic growth, and increases the vulnerability of a nation’s ecological, political, and social stability. Freshwater is one of the most essential natural resources. This paper addresses how inadequate access to freshwater in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has impacted stability within and across borders. Chapter one introduces freshwater as a limited resource, highlighting how the scarcity of it threatens environmental sustainability and human health. It connects this to challenges of water scarcity and the resulting conflicts experienced in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Chapter two explores how policies, economic development, and outdated infrastructure from the Soviet era have intensified climate change related issues. Chapter three examines how Kyrgyzstan’s and Tajikistan's reliance on natural resources and external investment supports domestic economic development, but risks intensifying environmental and geopolitical problems. Chapter four discusses how nationalism and authoritarian style governance can hinder advances towards peace with the prioritization of self-interests over the nation’s interests, and increased vulnerability to external political powers. Chapter five concludes with policy recommendations to bridge the gaps between peace, policy, and water scarcity, expanding on existing proposals and introducing new ones.