SECTION II – THE RHINE RIVER

In the 1950s, the Netherlands became increasingly concerned about the salinity in the Rhine River. About a decade later, therefore, the International Committee for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) was formed to address this issue, setting up a technical commission to monitor the pollution levels in the Rhine. About another decade later, in 1976, a drastic action was taken by signing the convention for the protection of the Rhine against pollution, in which specific measures had to be adopted to clean up the river. The actual work, however, began ten years later in 1986. They agreed to reduce pollution levels by 50% over the 1985 levels. Later on, other private sectors too decided to take action. The German Chemical Industry Foundation, for instance, agreed to reduce the level of toxics in the river.

This sets a good example for other nations to follow in international water basin management. While this is a success story, it still explains the fact that the management of international water basins is a big challenge and requires a lot of time; it took them about four decades to tackle the issue until the river slowly began to recover. The important lesson that can be gleaned from this story is that no matter how serious the conflict, cooperation is the key for the general sovereignty. It is this whole-hearted commitment and cooperation that is missing in the Central Asian case. Those with the authority to make vital changes for the generations are instead concerned about short-term gains [1]

SECTION III – AFTER EFFECTS OF THE ARAL SEA DEPLETION

Uzbekistan's neglect of the needs of the Karakalpak [2] people has translated into a human tragedy of mounting proportions. With the desiccation of the Aral Sea has come health problems on an unprecedented scale. According to Don Hinrichsen’s report, Dr Oral Ataniyazova said, “We have high levels of heavy metals, salts and other toxic substances in our drinking water supplies, and the bulk of our vegetables are contaminated with organo-chlorine pesticides, such as DDT which is still used here in great quantities. As a consequence, our people are dying like flies. Karakalpakia has the highest levels of maternal and infant mortality in the former Soviet Union. As of 1994, maternal deaths were 120 per 100,000 live births, and infant mortality was 60 per 1,000 live births.”

The collapse of fisheries was only the first ecological link to come apart. The sea used to regulate climate in the region, buffering the cold winds that roared out of Siberia in the winter, and acting as a huge air conditioner in the summer. With the demise of the sea, this climate modifying function has been lost. The climate around the sea has changed, becoming more continental, with shorter, hotter, rainless summers and longer, colder, snow-free winters.

But the real killer of the land, according to most experts, is salt. Furthermore, the drying of the Aral Sea has been accompanied by a profound and perhaps irreversible degradation of its ecological system. The drying of the Sea , accompanied by a gradual salinity increase, has led to changes in biological diversity and to a decline in the total fish biomass. The increase in salinity from 10.2 ppt (in 1961) to 35 ppt (in 1991) led to the extinction of freshwater animals which represented the core of the Aral endemic fauna.

The total fish catches in the lower Amu-Darya water bodies have been steadily declining from 7 000 - 8 000 t in the early 1970s to 1 000 to 3 000 t in the early 1990s .

Conclusion and Recommendations

In conclusion, it can be observed that the impracticality of the efforts taken to save the waters in Central Asia, has given a damaging blow to the regional countries’ economy, health and overall life condition. Despite cultural similarities among the concerned nations, a serious, collective effort has not been taken to save the region from this long expected crisis. As Dr. Oral Ataniyazova said, "Since 99 per cent of the Karakalpak nation lives within its boundaries, we may very well be witnessing the death of a nation as the result of human folly." And, unfortunately, this prediction reached reality.

On the other hand, despite the dire need for water, and the fact that it is now even more scarce due to drying up of the Aral Sea, there is not much concern about an impending “Water War” among these nations, which I think is due to the fact that they have already witnessed the greatest calamity, while water war would make it even worse.

This does not mean, however, that the unresolved interstate conflicts over trans-boundary water resources do not have the potential to ignite violent domestic and regional upheaval in Central Asia at some time in the future. Given the fact that demand for water is bound to keep rising in the basin, while supply keeps falling, combined with the other factors that make for a highly volatile political, economic, and social mix in the region, a cautious watch has to be given to the region on the ongoing developments in hydro-politics in the Aral Basin. The political changes in Afghanistan might be of concern regarding the use of water from Amudarya River, which will be a potential topic for future research.

Given the rainy climate in the Pamir Mountains with high precipitation, where Amudarya River begins, it would be quite reasonable to be optimistic about the Amudarya coming back to life. However, to use the existing and any future water resources in the region in its most effective and efficient manner, international water law has to be developed. This law should define shares, rights and responsibilities of each country in international water. Water saving practices within a republic, and a water bank, will be more effective if an international water law determining each nation's water shares has first been established.

Direct agreements between different users for selling and purchasing water should be promoted. This will result in conserved water from one region being transferred to other regions where payments are possible. Household water consumption should be charged per quantity used, not lump sum as this will discourage wasting of water.

The countries in the region should collectively strive for better solutions to the problem, seeking outside help and following success stories such as the Rhine River in Europe.

They should promote a unified and practical water management strategy, water pricing policy, supporting environmental legislation, and clear ecological objectives. The people should be educated about the importance of water in their lives, they should be taught about advantages of cooperation and disadvantages of unilateral water exploitation and overuse.

Taking into account all above recommendations, it is hoped that the region’s once splendor come back to life, giving life with itself to the region’s inhabitants, plants and animals.