Climate crisis revives Soviet hydro plan in Central Asia
Climate crisis revives Soviet hydro plan in Central Asia Climate crisis revives Soviet hydro plan in Central Asia Central Asian countries are putting aside their rivalries to build a massive hydroelectric plant originally planned during the Soviet era, in an effort to improve their energy and food security and counter the effects of climate change. The Kambar-Ata-1 project on the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan is a relatively isolated instance of regional cooperation that does not involve the two neighboring superpowers, Russia and China. The plant is "very important for Central Asia", Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev stated during a visit to the future site, which was attended by AFP. At a trilateral meeting with Kyrgyzstan, a few days later, the Kazakh and Uzbek governments stated that the project would "bring great advantages for the region" and "ensure the long-term stability and development of Central Asia". The previously unimaginab...