The impact of global warming and climate change has left a substantial negative impact on countries and regions all around the world. But Central Asia’s socioeconomic development is also in danger of being impacted. Central Asia has shown the effects of these changes through melting glaciers and water scarcity, and many species are migrating due to climate concerns. The World Bank predicted that the average temperature would rise 5-6 degrees above the typical temperature through these changes. These changes have caused Central Asian glaciers to decrease by 0.2-1% yearly. Many smaller glaciers have already disappeared due to the temperature rise. Not only is the land being affected, but those who live within Central Asia will be affected as water scarcity is a significant issue that is on the rise. The Asian Development Bank has predicted that there will be a 10-15% drop in water volumes in the most crucial water sources in Central Asia, the Syr Darya and Amu Darya basins. This prediction is only until 2050. The water volume is predicted to decrease to around 30 or even 40% in the years after that. Many issues have caused this, and it’s predominately due to how the countries control the water that they have. While residents have access to clean drinking water and sanitation services, the sewer systems and drainage systems are not managed and are in poor condition. Even as we urbanize different parts of the world, keep in mind the additional resources we have to keep in mind while building new infrastructure. Central Asia lacks this and needs to repair as the years continue. This shows that even though the economy may be thriving, urbanization is hurting and causing the land to die, and resources vital to our survival aren’t thought about first.

Ualikhanova, Aruzhan. “World Bank Predicts Climate-Related Impact on Socio-Economic Development of Central Asia .” The Astana Times, 28 July 2023, astanatimes.com/2023/07/world-bank-predicts-climate-related-impact-on-socio-economic-development-of-central-asia/.