| This dissertation is concerned with the hydrological responses of the upper Amu Darya basin in Central Asia to climatic warming, and the management implications of those responses. The Amu Darya is an important river in three respects: environmentally, as one of the main water sources for the environmental disaster zone of the Aral Sea; economically, as a major source of irrigation water; and politically, since the collapse of the USSR has left the new states of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, along with Afghanistan, in control of the river basin. Work to develop water management plans for the region generally do not consider climate change, and this dissertation aims to fill this gap. The main sources of water for the Amu Darya are melting snow and glaciers in the upper part of the basin, so the spatial focus is here. Recent glacier behaviour is examined, and sensitivity of the upper basin to warming of +1, +3 and +5... |
