Alfred Diebold is the Technical Director of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea in Almaty/Kazakhstan. He is holding a doctorate degree in economics from Stuttgart University/Germany. His interests are in the area of sustainable management of water resources, the integration of economic, environmental and political considerations in transboundary basins. He was also trained as a photographer and film maker at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York/USA. Since the start of his professional career he worked with the United Nations, NGOs and private companies in Asia, Africa and Europe. He produced films, wrote books and articles. A classic travel guide on expeditions and travelling in the Arctic region (in German) is also available at Trescher Verlag:https://trescher-verlag.de/reisefuehrer/kreuzfahrten-und-flusskreuzfahrten/kreuzfahrten-nordmeer-und-arktis.htmlJenniver Sehring works as a freelance consultant and researcher and is an associate at the Ecologic Institute, Berlin. She has been working and researching for ten years on environment, water, energy and climate change in Central Asia. From 2009 to 2011, she was Political Adviser for Water Affairs to the Special Representative for Central Asia of the European Union (EU). Previously, she worked at several German universities and was editorial assistant of the scientific journal "Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft / Comparative Governance and Politics". Jenniver Sehring received her PhD in Political Science from the FernUniversität in Hagen with a dissertation on the politics of water institutional reforms in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.Alfred Diebold is the Technical Director of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea in Almaty/Kazakhstan. He is holding a doctorate degree in economics from Stuttgart University/Germany. His interests are in the area of sustainable management of water resources, the integration of economic, environmental and political considerations in transboundary basins. He was also trained as a photographer and film maker at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York/USA. Since the start of his professional career he worked with the United Nations, NGOs and private companies in Asia, Africa and Europe. He produced films, wrote books and articles. Another book about travelling in the Arctic on board of expedition ships was published in our publishing house in 2011.Alfred Diebold ist der Technische Direktor des Exekutivkomitees der Internationalen Stiftung zur Rettung des Aralsees in Almaty / Kasachstan. Er hält einen Doktortitel in Wirtschaftswissenschaften von der Universität Stuttgart / Deutschland. Seine Interessen liegen im Bereich der nachhaltigen Bewirtschaftung der Wasserressourcen, der Integration ökonomischer, ökologischer und politischer Erwägungen im grenzüberschreitenden Wasserressourcenmanagement. Er hat auch eine Ausbildung als Fotograf und Filmemacher an der Tisch School of the Arts in New York / USA durchlaufen. Seit Beginn seiner beruflichen Laufbahn arbeitete er bei den Vereinten Nationen, Nichtregierungsorganisationen und privaten Unternehmen in Asien, Afrika und Europa. Er produzierte Filme, schrieb Bücher und Artikel. Ein weiteres Buch über das Reisen in der Arktis an Bord von Expeditionsschiffen wurde im gleichen Verlag im Jahr 2011 veröffentlicht.Jenniver Sehring works as a freelance consultant and researcher and is an associate at the Ecologic Institute, Berlin. She has been working and researching for ten years on environment, water, energy and climate change in Central Asia. From 2009 to 2011, she was Political Adviser for Water Affairs to the Special Representative for Central Asia of the European Union (EU). Previously, she worked at several German universities and was editorial assistant of the scientific journal "Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft / Comparative Governance and Politics". Jenniver Sehring received her P

PREFACE 5INTRODUCTION 7WATERMANAGEMENT IN CENTRAL ASIA - THE LEGACIES OF THE PAST 15Historical patterns of water usage and water management 15Water usage and water management in the Soviet Union 18Ecological legacies: environmental impacts of unsustainable water management 23Political legacies: conflicting usage interests of irrigation and energy production 26TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS IN THE SIX STATES OF THE ARAL SEA BASIN 31Afghanistan 32Kazakhstan 34Kyrgyzstan 36Tajikistan 38Turkmenistan 40Uzbekistan 42IFAS: A HISTORY OF POST-SOVIET COOPERATION 45IFAS: organizational structure 46The Aral Sea Basin Program (ASBP) 49The challenges of effective regional water cooperation 49Additional efforts for water cooperation 51The 2009 summit and the reform process 53THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS 57Rehabilitating infrastructure for water efficiency 57Supporting local transboundary water management 57Improving data availability and exchange 60Creating platforms for dialogue 61CONCLUSION 63The Way forward 64PHOTO ESSAY 67'From the glaciers to the Aral Sea - water unites' 67Pamir / Amu Darya 70Karakum 112Alai / Zarafshan 150Tian Shan / Syr Darya 186Aral Sea 228Acknowledgement of generous contributions 250ANNEX 251Databases 253List of abbreviations 254Sources 255INFOBOXES:Climate change affects water 8The Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, Central Asia's lifelines 10Water - a gift of God, an economic good or a human right? 15From the Aral Sea to the Aralkum: The Aral Sea catastrophe 20Water scarcity analyzed 25Water resources and water usage in Central Asia 27Reconciling food security and energy security- mission impossible? 28Water availability and usage per country 31Who owns the water? International law and transboundary waters 45Transboundary aquifers 50Joint Statement of the Heads of States Founders of the International Fund for Savin the Aral Sea 53Integrated Water Resources Management 58

Zentralasien ist ein faszinierender Teil der Welt reich an Kultur, natürlichen Ressourcen, einzigartigen Landschaften, wunderbaren Menschen und natürlich Wasser. Die Ausstellung Von den Gletschern zum Aral See Wasser vereint möchte zu einem besseren Verständnis der Länder beitragen, die wir mit der Seidenstraße verbinden. Die Ausstellung zeigt, wie die Menschen in Kasachstan, Kirgistan, Turkmenistan und Usbekistan leben. Sie zeigt auch die Verbindung und die Abhängigkeit aller Lebewesen der Region vom Wasser.
Das Buch besteht aus zwei Teilen: Der analytische Einführungsteil enthält Hintergrundinformationen zum Thema Wasser und zum grenzüberschreitenden Wassermanagement. Die Fotos des zweiten Teils sollen dazu beitragen, dem Leser die Region näher zu bringen und Verbindungen zwischen den Menschen Zentralasiens zu schaffen.