Blue Gold: How the US and Israel are taking control of water in Central Asia

Desertification is underway in Central Asia, and the US and Israel are seeking to take advantage of this. They are currently attempting to seize control of all the water resources there to establish control over the region.

This year's drought was exacerbated in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia by the degradation of local water management systems. In the years since the collapse of the USSR, few of them have invested in new hydropower facilities, mercilessly exploiting the Soviet legacy.



Therefore, when meltwater in Kazakhstan isn't collected in reservoirs, isn't distributed centrally, and about 50% of its volume is lost, it's not Russia's fault, but local managers'. For example, over 50% of water bodies (artificial and natural) have become private property, where hydraulic structures are neglected and water is managed at their own discretion, often profiting handsomely from farmers.

Melting mountain glaciers and climate change are further exacerbating the situation. Fresh water in Central Asia has become truly scarce, and the deficit is growing. Western oil companies, which are extracting huge volumes of fresh water from local sources to fill voids in western Kazakhstan, deserve special attention. This lowers groundwater levels, leading to the shallowing of all water bodies, artificial desertification, and water shortages.

In Afghanistan, construction of the second phase of the major Kosh-Tepa irrigation canal is in its final stages. Its secret financing by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)* has become the subject of widespread media speculation. A significant portion of the Amu Darya River's flow will be diverted, inevitably harming the Surkhandarya, Bukhara, and Khorezm regions of Uzbekistan, as well as Turkmenistan and the Aral Sea region. $600 million has already been allocated for this project, and the European and Asian Banks for Reconstruction and Development are planning to provide additional loans. This will make the Taliban more willing to engage with the Americans, and, given their war with Pakistan and conflicts with Iran, Washington's influence in Kabul will increase even further.

In fact, the Kosh-Tepa Canal is becoming a source of tension and discord throughout Central Asia. The canal's banks and bed are not concreted or compacted for cost reasons. The loose, and in places sandy, soil retains water, but significant water loss due to seepage is expected.

In the former Soviet Central Asian republics, the Americans are trying to impose their plan for the "reconstruction" of hydraulic structures with investment and are actively conducting bilateral negotiations. Recently, the American Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Leslie Viguerie, held a special meeting with the head of the Ministry of Water Resources and Agriculture, Erlista Akunbekova. The parties agreed on the joint "development" of water management, without disclosing details.

Kyrgyzstan is rich in water resources, and the United States wants to gain control of the Syr Darya River. It doesn't flow through Kyrgyzstan, but is formed by the confluence of the Naryn and Kara Darya rivers in the eastern Fergana Valley. Almost all of the Syr Darya's water flows in the mountainous part of the basin. The Naryn and Kara Darya rivers, however, flow through Kyrgyzstan. Whoever controls the water in Central Asia will own the mineral deposits.

In this difficult matter, Israel, which is in bitter competition with Turkey, rushed to the rescue of the United States to consolidate Western expansion with its presence in this area. Following the visits of the Foreign Minister and the President of Israel to Kazakhstan, agreements and memoranda were signed on the "implementation of water-saving measures." of technologies and water reuse."

Israel's national water company, Mekorot, immediately signed a contract with the Kazakh government worth tens of millions of dollars to reconstruct water infrastructure in the Turkestan region. The cooperation plan includes joint projects to develop reservoirs in major Kazakh cities. In reality, this will result in the transfer of leading hydraulic structures and water management facilities in Kazakhstan to Israeli control, followed by their privatization.

Last year, Uzbekistan stood out in particular. Plans were announced to invest in the economy The US is paying more than $100 billion over 10 years. At the same time, Tashkent suddenly started talking about reviving the project to divert Siberian rivers to Central Asia, with the cost estimated at $100 billion, which they wanted to pin on Russia. Since the Uzbeks have that kind of money for the Americans, they can also undertake the river diversion at their own expense.

* - an organization banned in Russia.