Water is arguably the world’s most precious resource. However, it has also become a source of growing concern, affecting some regions more severely than others. In Central Asia, water scarcity has reached alarming levels, affecting the well-being and livelihoods of millions, and jeopardizing stability in the region. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, five independent countries emerged in Central Asia as sovereign nations. Yet, the challenges they face extend beyond individual borders. The implications of the water crisis affect the entire region and raise concerns about the potential for conflicts between the neighboring countries. The primary water...
Stepping stones towards Youth Participation – implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 in Central Asia [explainer clip]
There are numerous factors affecting peace and security in Central Asia. Arbitrary borders drawn during the Soviet era have resulted in natural resources, such as water, being disproportionately split between the Central Asian countries. Such a division has given rise to several cases of conflicts and political tension in the area. The region’s countries have since their independence in 1991 found themselves in national political turmoil on various occasions, as well as international influence from Russia and China affecting the ways the different countries are run. This volatile environment means young people in Central Asia are currently facing...
Civil Society in Central Asia [explainer clip in English]
What makes democracy work? The amount of literature written in an attempt to answer this question is vast. Many conclude that there is no way of finding a single answer, but the common perception is that civil society is an integral part of a functional democracy. Thus, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the international community encouraged countries in Central Asia to develop strong, representative, and inclusive civil society to smooth the transition from totalitarian to democratic regimes. However, three decades later, civil society in Central Asia did not form itself as expected. Every country in...
Central Asia and Migration: a Look into the Largest Migration Flow in Eurasia [explainer clip]
In today’s world, human migration is a global concern. Migration can be defined as a process of moving from one location to another for economic, socio-demographic, cultural and historical, infrastructural and geographic and political factors. In other words, migration is one of the strategies people use in response to various societal turn of events. In this globalized world, the US, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and countries of European Union attract people from all over the world who are in search of better life opportunities and/or who are in need of a safe refuge outside of their places of...
Central Asia on the Global Map [explainer clip]
You might have heard about Central Asia: that it is locked between Russia, China, and Iran; that these five “-stans” are home to around 74 million people of various ethnic backgrounds, maybe you’ve heard of its magnificent natural beauty too. The question is, then, what is it about Central Asia that makes it of such great geopolitical interest to powers like Russia, the United States and China? There is actually a lot. For Russia, Central Asia sits in its main sphere of influence. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, four Central Asian states have retained political, economic,...
Authoritarianism in Central Asia: Current State and Tendencies of the Regimes [explainer clip]
Does authoritarianism exist in Central Asia? Well, the simple answer is yes, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. On paper, the countries within Central Asia have put together governments that tick most of the check-boxes of a full-fledged democracy. They have elections, checks and balances between parts of the government, and constitutions that exercise due diligence in positively framing human rights. But it doesn’t take much to realize that most of these governments aren’t functioning as they’re supposed to. A cursory Google search about countries in the region will bring up a deluge of articles detailing everything...
Climate Change in Central Asia: Current Trends and Challenges [explainer clip]
Climate change is a pressing global challenge that does not respect national borders and is now affecting every country on every continent. This clip focuses on the region of Central Asia and it will provide you with general information on regional climate-related and environmental challenges. According to the German Development Agency’s research the Central Asian region is suffering more from the consequences of climate change than most other regions of the world. It is predicted that the expansion of deserts and arid areas will continue, while such terrain already make up 80 percent of the total territory of Central...
Central Asia and the Myth of Radicalization [explainer clip]
Central Asia, Uzbekistan in particular, has been widely discussed in Sweden because of the terrorist attack in Stockholm on April 7th, 2017. Since then, the major news outlets in Sweden such as Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet have linked terrorism to Uzbekistan and generally Central Asia. In other words, it is said that the regime creates grounds for radical extremism. The analysis of how the Swedish mass media constructs Central Asia infers that the region is prone to widespread radicalization, terrorist activities, and fundamentalism. But is this really the case? Do the regimes in Central Asia create grounds for...