CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2009
| Author | Servin, Stephanie Carline |
|---|---|
| Title | ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY: WATER SCARCITY AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION IN POST-SOCIALIST UZBEKISTAN |
| Summary | The potential for water to be a source of conflict or cooperation is a highly contested topic in environmental security literature. In Central Asia, increasing demand and declining supplies of water have been compounded by increases in nationalism, challenges brought by economic and political transition, and competition over water among the five Central Asian states, which, in turn, has hampered the ability to find a viable regional approach to replace the former Soviet water management system. A common hypothesis is that water scarcity or water distribution will lead to inter and intra-state conflict. More recent literature has suggested that water scarcity can be a power tool to foster peace between disputing parties. This thesis uses post-socialist Uzbekistan as a case study to analyze the roots of the water problem in Central Asia and explore the linkages between water, conflict, and cooperation more clearly. The study reviews the water situation in Central Asia before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, focusing specifically on the function and consequences of Soviet and third-party intervention. This work challenges the large body of scholarly research that suggests that water scarcity catalyzes violent conflict. In turn, the research elucidates the casual pathways by which the environment can be an effective tool to foster cooperation, negotiation, and peace-keeping. |
| Supervisor | Matteo Fumagalli |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2009/servin_stephanie.pdf |
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