Central Asia

A delegation of Afghanistan's ministry of economic development checked the development of the Qosh Tepa, an irrigation canal, which will direct the water from the Amu Darya river to the country's arid northern region. The conduit however will reduce the supply for downstream Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which rely heavily on the river. © Afghanistan's deputy minister of economic development

Water Conflicts Loom in Central Asia

An ambitious infrastructure project in Afghanistan risks exacerbating scarcities in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

4 Aug 23

In recent months, Central Asian migrants have increasingly suffered at the hands of the Russian state. © Carsten Koall/Getty Images

Pressure on Central Asian Migrants in Russia Grows

Reports suggest that authorities are forcing workers to choose between deportation or fighting in Ukraine.

26 Jul 23

In Aktau, the capital of Kazakstan’s western Mangystau region, the Caspian Sea has receded dozens of metres away from the city and kilometres away from the northern coast. © Talgat Umarov

Kazakstan’s Alarm as Caspian Sea Shrinks

Islands have appeared in the world’s largest inland body of water, heightening concerns about its future.

19 Jul 23

Well drilling in the outskirts of Bishkek. The water supply system in Kyrgyzstan's capital is considered obsolete and experts note that substantial renovation is needed to avoid water losses. © IWPR Central Asia

Bishkek Water Shortages Highlight Poor Management

Obsolete infrastructure and bad planning mean issues already aggravated by climate change have got more serious.

13 Jul 23

Father Konstantin, 30, is Kazakstan’s only priest of the Old Believers. Also called Old Ritualists, they are Eastern Orthodox Christians who maintain the practices of the Russian Orthodox Church as they were before the reform introduced by Patriarch Nikon of Moscow in the 17th century. © Talgat Umarov

Kazakstan’s Shrinking Community of Old Believers

A young priest keeps ancient rituals alive in his tiny parish.

11 Jul 23

Shavkat Mirziyoyev has served as President of Uzbekistan and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan since 2016. © Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Uzbekistan’s Election Campaign Lacks Intrigue and Real Opposition

The presidential vote is likely to quietly legitimise the incumbent and consolidate his position.

27 Jun 23

Following his re-election on May 29, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan now looks set to continue a regional policy that has included expanding trade and economic cooperation, improving connectivity and reaching markets in Central Asia and beyond. © Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Turkey and Central Asia’s Growing Partnership

Erdoğan’s win marks continuity in Turkish economic and political engagement with the region.

8 Jun 23

A girl reads a book in a reading room of Chuy regional library, in the town of Kant. Over 80 per cent of the 1,060 libraries in Kyrgyzstan are located in rural areas and in most villages they are the only cultural facility. © IWPR Central Asia

A World in 30 Metres: Kyrgyzstan’s Rural Libraries

Precious resources are often villages’ only cultural centres, but they remain underfunded and at risk.

22 May 23

The Kyrgyz authorities are seeking to introduce controls over the screening of audio-visual materials during festivals, conferences and trainings, in a move that rights’ groups consider a further restriction of basic freedoms. © Aneta Pawlik/Unsplash

Kyrgyzstan Mulls Mandatory Licenses for all Video Content

Warning that draft resolution that foresees the introduction of blanket oversight could violate country’s constitution.

10 May 23

Tajik journalists near Kokhi Somon, the presidential residence, in Dushanbe in July 2021. Journalists and rights groups say that the space for independent media in Tajikistan is shrinking as criminal cases against reporters are on the rise, fostering self-censorship and democracy backsliding. © IWPR Central Asia

Tajikistan’s Turn of the Screw Against Media

Crackdown has turned journalism into a dangerous profession in the Central Asian nation.

3 May 23

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