Water, water everywhere in Kyrgyzstan – except when and where it’s needed. Kyrgyzstan is a
Central Asian nation that traditionally has been well endowed with water. But, in an era marked by
global warming, old assumptions about water supplies are changing, and farmers are getting
nervous.
Conditions in Togotoi, a village in southern Kyrgyzstan’s Osh Province, help illustrate the
challenges. Farmers there are rushing to finish planting their corn, wheat and vegetables by late
May. But no one knows whether the province will have enough water during this summer’s growing
season, as arid summers have become the new norm.
Despite Togotoi’s ideal location between two tributaries of the Syr Darya River, one of Central
Asia’s largest, droughts in Osh Province are increasing in frequency. The area’s dilapidated
irrigation canals are a primary source of concern. A large share of water that enters the irrigation
system is wasted before it can nourish crops. As a result, Togotoi villagers like Stalbek Karimov
worry that they won’t be able to withstand another season of low rainfall. “Summers are hotter
now,” said Karimov. “Temperatures are rising and there is less water available.”