Abstract
For several millennia the water resources had been the key issue for the development of Central Asia. They were used for the development of agriculture, water supply, fishery, navigation, and, generally, the national economies. They were also natural barriers for protection from enemies. With the economic development and population growth, the water had become the most deficit resource. Taking into consideration the above, the history of water relations in Central Asia was fraught with acute struggle for water that was always the most vital resource in such arid intercontinental region located far from seas and oceans.
With time, the population growth and progress in science and technology had changed the approaches to water resource management: construction of irrigation canals and hydraulic structures was developing, and new reservoirs and waterworks for water accumulation and redistribution were built. In general, the hydraulic structures had been built in Central Asia for many centuries and reflected the technological level.
Water resources were used to meet the social and economic needs of the population. Waterways contributed much to the establishment of the Great Silk Road and Great Indian Road. They were very important in military terms as the troops were deployed by rivers.
Waterways in Central Asia were also used for navigation which played a great role in the development of economy and trade, but the navigation here had some specific feature – it was of a closed nature which made it purely regional.
The approaches to water resource management have not changed for many centuries. The extending irrigated lands required more and more water which initiated the construction of hydraulic structures. As a result, in the second half of the twentieth century, the irrigated areas in Central Asia really increased permitting these countries to become less dependent on purchase of cotton, to resolve their food supply problems, to provide the required quantities of water to the population, and to establish market relations in industry. Such policy has led to practically complete intake of water resources which deficit had intensified by the 1980s.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Rtveladze EV (2012) The Great Indian Road. Nestor-Istoria, Saint-Petersburg, p 43 (in Russian)
Sarsembekov TT et al (2004) The use and protection of transboundary rivers in the Central Asian countries. Atamura, Almaty, pp 35–38 (in Russian)
Lebedeva MM, Borishpolets CP, Ivanova NA, Chepurina MA (2016) The Central Asia: social and humanitarian dimensions. Aspekt Press, Moscow, p 26 (in Russian)
International relations in Central Asia: events and documents (2011) Aspekt Press, Moscow, pp 37–38 (in Russian)
Mantusov VB, Sharifov BM (2014) Geostrategic importance of the Central Asian region for Russia in modern world economic relations. Nauchnaya kniga, Moscow, p 33 (in Russian)
Adamova EA (1952) Collection of treaties of Russia with other states (1856–1917). State Political Literature Publishers, Moscow, pp 129–139 (in Russian)
Bushkov V (2003) Water problems of the Central Asian region. Central Asia Caucasus 5:183–190 (in Russian)
Bykov AA (1879) Notes about crossings over the Amu Darya. Nauka, Tashkent, p 4 (in Russian)
Addwort E (2017) Russia: the breakthrough to the east. Press-Book, Moscow, p 275 (in Russian)
Shtepa BG, Kudrin BA, Zonn IS, Orlova VP, Volynov AM (1975) Land reclamation in the USSR. Kolos, Moscow, pp 20–26 (in Russian)
Faizullaev MA (2015) Historical and geographical aspects of integrated development of new lands in Uzbekistan for agriculture. Vestnik ARGO 4:187–194 (in Russian)
Zonn IS, Glantz MG (2008) The Aral encyclopedia. International Relations, Moscow, p 33 (in Russian)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Zhiltsov, S.S., Zhiltsova, M.S., Medvedev, N.P., Slizovskiy, D.Y. (2018). Water Resources of Central Asia: Historical Overview. In: Zhiltsov, S., Zonn, I., Kostianoy, A., Semenov, A. (eds) Water Resources in Central Asia: International Context. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 85. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2018_358
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2018_358
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-11204-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-11205-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)