| Due to the pressures of increasing population and economic development in Central Asia, water resources management faces many challenges. This dissertation addresses several of these challenges in five chapters. The first chapter motivates the dissertation by presenting the background and history of water resources management in the region. Chapter two explores opportunities for water scarcity to motivate neighboring nations in transboundary basins to cooperate in the development and allocation of water. Chapter three examines the potential for mutually beneficial water development and allocation of water resources to sustain demands for water, food, and energy. Chapter four examines impacts of infrastructure, water allocation protocols, and climate variability on economic outcomes in the Amu Darya Basin for the countries of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Chapter five concludes. Results show that ongoing conflicts in the Amu Darya Basin over water infrastructure and allocation have the potential to be resolved in a way to secure economic gains for the four nations studied. However, patient and difficult political negotiations will be required to achieve the gains indicated. |
