Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 2 min read 100% complete by Genevieve Donnellon-MayFebruary 2, 2026 at 10:30 PM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

Central Asia's growing water crisis, driven by rapid warming and glacier melt, poses a significant strategic threat to Eurasia. The region's volatile river flows and increasing droughts strain agriculture, hydropower, and socio-economic stability. This impacts China through shared river basins affecting agriculture and industry in Xinjiang, and disrupting the Belt and Road Initiative's transport corridors and food/energy imports. Similarly, Europe's investments in the Trans-Caspian transport route and Global Gateway framework are threatened by water shortages that can disrupt industry, power networks, and transport, undermining connectivity goals. Therefore, the water crisis demands urgent attention from both Beijing and Brussels due to its potential to destabilize trade, energy, and regional security.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Belt and Road Initiative 50% Xinjiang 60% Beijing 70% European Union ×280% Central Asia ×5100% Europe ×3100% China ×4100%

Keywords

central asia 100% water crisis 90% water security 80% climate change 70% eurasia 70% eurasian trade corridors 60% belt and road initiative 60% energy systems 50% food markets 50% trans-caspian international transport route 40%