25.10.2022 - New research paper reveals that the economic dimension of water security in Central Asia is the ultimate priority for water professionals, while the national priorities for Central Asian countries are not identical
Dr. Aliya Assubayeva, SDGnexus Network researcher, in cooperation with scholars from Nazarbayev University, Dr. Stefanos Xenarios, Albina Li, and Dr. Siamac Fazli, applied a Delphi method and analyzed its outcome with clustering and regression analysis to better comprehend the agreement rate among water professionals on critical aspects of water security in the Central Asian region.
The accessibility to freshwater sources and even allocation among different uses has become one of the most challenging sustainability aspects, especially in developing and transition economies, where a rapid increase in water consumption and poor management practices are more frequent. Water security has been adopted as a relatively new concept to encompass the relevant dimensions for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
Although some studies refer to different dimensions of water security in Central Asia (CA) and the individual countries, there is still a vacuum in the perceptions of water professionals engaged in water security projects and initiatives in the region. The current study attempted to shed some light on the views of different water professionals from diverse backgrounds about water security priorities in CA and each country through the Delphi approach enriched with clustering and statistical analyses. The authors further explored the potential discrepancies between the literature findings and the professionals’ views on prioritizing different water security dimensions in CA.
This study reveals the prioritization of the economic dimension by water professionals, which differs from the academic discourse on water security in CA. The inheritance of massive water supply infrastructure commonly shared between CA countries from Soviet times, the different demands between upstream and downstream, and the various development paces within the region bring significant challenges to establishing an integrated water security concept. Comparing the study findings with the bibliometric review has shed light on the different standpoints of water security notions in CA by indicating the need for common interpretations from the research and professional community.
Read more about the research paper: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.970633/full
Reference: Assubayeva, A., Xenarios, S., Li, A., & Fazli, S. (2022). Assessing water security in Central Asia through a Delphi method and a clustering analysis. Front. Environ. Sci. 10:970633. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.970633
Contact
Dr. Aliya.Assubayeva@zeu.uni-giessen.de
Center for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU), Justus Liebig University Giessen
Senckenbergstraße 3
D-35390 Gießen
+49 641 99 12714