Water shortage in Central Asia worsening, Uzbekistan warns

TASHKENT: Serious water shortages plaguing Central Asian countries have become “irreversible” and will only get worse, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev warned on Friday, as global warming and increased competition weigh on resources.

Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan face a myriad of environmental problems, including decades of Soviet-era pollution, soil degradation and a scarcity of water made worse by climate change.

“Colleagues are well aware that the problem of water shortage in Central Asia has become acute and irreversible and will only worsen further,” Mirziyoyev told a meeting of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.