TASHKENT, Uzbekistan - Serious water shortages plaguing Central Asian countries have become"irreversible" and will only get worse, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev warned Friday, as global warming and increased competition weigh on resources.
"Colleagues are well aware that the problem of water shortage in Central Asia has become acute and irreversible and will only worsen further," Mirziyoyev told a meeting of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. "Experts believe that in some regions of Central Asia the pressure on water resources will triple by 2040. The economic damage may eventually reach 11 percent of the regional gross product," Mirziyoyev warned.