With the disintegration of the USSR a conflict arose between Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan over the Syr Darya river. Upstream Kyrgyzstan operates the Toktogul reservoir which generates hydropower demanded mainly in winter for heating. Downstream Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan need irrigation...

An overview of environmental issues in Central Asia / Jiaguo Qi and Rashid Kulmatov -- Modern problems in using, protecting, and managing water and land resources of the Aral Sea basin / Rashid Kulmatov -- Using satellite remote sensing to study and monitor the Aral Sea and adjacent zone /...

1. Introduction -- 2. Uzbekistan : economic gradualism and political stability -- 3. Kazakhstan : oil-boom economy -- 4. Tajikistan : civil war and its aftermath -- 5. The Kyrgyz Republic : the region's rapid reformer -- 6. Turkmenistan : the realm of Turkmenbashi the Great -- 7. Measuring...