Problems and countermeasures of water resources security in the construction of Silk Road Economic Belt

The strategic idea of "Silk Road Economic Belt" not only brings historic opportunities for economic and social development and regional cooperation to countries along the route, but also faces many constraints and challenges. Water resource security is one of the strategic and forward-looking issues that should be paid great attention to in the process of promoting the construction of Silk Road Economic Belt. There are many cross-border (or border) rivers within the Silk Road Economic Belt. In these river basin areas, there are more or less conflicts between basin countries such as water resources allocation, hydropower development, water pollution and so on, especially in the Aral Sea basin in Central Asia and the trans-boundary rivers in the Mesopotamia Basin in West Asia.

Water resources are scarce and unevenly distributed in time and space

Among the major regions involved in the Silk Road Economic Belt, Central Asia and West Asia are the most short of water resources, except for North Africa. Lack of water resources and uneven distribution of time and space are important constraints for local economic development and regional cooperation. In arid and semi-arid regions, water resource is an important strategic resource that profoundly affects the geopolitical relations among countries in the region.

Due to their different geographical locations in the basin, countries in the Aral Sea Basin in Central Asia and Mesopotamia Basin in West Asia have great differences in the amount of water resources in the basin. The northwest of China and neighboring Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan belong to the arid inland region of Central Asia. In the process of social and economic development, we are also faced with such problems as uneven distribution of soil and water resources, shortage of water resources and difficulty in development and utilization, prominent contradiction between water supply and demand, diverse and serious ecological environment problems.

The structural contradiction of water resource demand is prominent

In the Silk Road Economic Belt, rainfall is not enough to maintain the local rain-fed agriculture, so irrigation agriculture has become the only choice for the countries along the river basin, and agricultural water is the main consumer of water in the countries along the river basin. The water demand characteristics of different countries in China, Central Asia and West Asia vary according to the distribution characteristics of water resources and energy and the characteristics of economic structure of each country. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the conflicts of energy structure, agricultural model and economic structure between the upstream and downstream countries became prominent, and the disputes over water resources between countries became increasingly exposed. After the independence of the five Central Asian states, with the growth of population and economic recovery, water demand is increasing, and the contradiction between water supply and demand is escalating.

Both Central Asia and West Asia have the characteristics of interweaving transboundary water resources and energy problems. The unreasonable industrial structure and economic development mode in the transboundary region result in the structural contradiction of water resource demand in various countries. Like most other arid areas in the world, the northwest of our country also has unreasonable water structure, lower water efficiency and efficiency. Water conservancy construction in Northwest China is lagging behind, the contradiction between the exploitation and utilization of water resources and natural resources and the protection of ecological environment is increasingly acute, and water resources management is facing severe challenges.

Ecological and environmental conditions are fragile

In history, the Central Asian region created the miracle of economic development by carrying out large-scale agricultural development and water conservancy construction, but also caused a series of major changes in the hydrological and geographical system and ecological environment, such as river drying up, lake drying up and so on, which caused irreversible ecological disaster in the Aral Sea basin. The ecological and environmental conditions in the arid areas along the Silk Road Economic Belt are relatively fragile, and the ecological security is affected by such factors as the characteristics of local climate change, the distribution characteristics of water resources, the way and degree of water resources development and utilization, the efficiency of water resources utilization, and the allocation of water resources among different water users. Improper exploitation and utilization of water resources will result in degraded ecological environment and lead to desertification and the disappearance of biodiversity.

Water disputes in transboundary river basins

In Central Asia, the Soviet Union has built many water facilities in the upper reaches of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. Although the downstream countries have vast land resources, they do not have enough water storage, so they have to rely on the discharge of water from the upstream countries to meet the demand. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, on the one hand, the upstream countries changed the operation mode of the upstream reservoirs of Amu Darya and Syr Darya for their own development needs, resulting in the contradiction between the supply and demand of water resources between the upstream and downstream countries. On the other hand, downstream countries began to restrict the water use and water resource development of upstream countries through various treaties and agreements, while upstream countries continued to intensify hydropower development in total disregard, resulting in increasingly fierce water conflicts between upstream and downstream countries. In West Asia, the issue of water resources allocation in the Euphrates and Tigris river basins is highly politicized, and it is difficult for basin countries to reach an agreement on water allocation satisfactory to all parties.

Transboundary water cooperation practices

Transboundary river basin countries in Central and Western Asia have also cooperated to varying degrees in the course of constant conflicts over transboundary water issues. China has conducted a series of practical and effective cooperation with Kazakhstan on issues related to transboundary water resources, and is in consultation with Kyrgyzstan on cooperation on utilization and protection of trans-boundary river flowing water resources.

In the process of promoting the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt, China should pay attention to the security of water resources in the regions involved in the belt, and actively promote trans-regional and diversified cooperation with relevant countries in the development, utilization, protection and management of water resources.

Measures to promote water resources security cooperation along the Silk Road Economic Belt

In view of the water resources security issues in the key regions along the Silk Road Economic Belt, it is urgent to strengthen inter-state and inter-regional cooperation on water resources security, so as to provide guarantee for promoting the construction process of the Silk Road Economic Belt. From the perspective of overall strategic layout, countermeasures and suggestions are proposed in the following five aspects for the construction of water resources security cooperation corridor along the Silk Road economic belt.

In the process of promoting the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt, China should pay attention to the security of water resources in the regions involved in the belt, and actively promote trans-regional and diversified cooperation with relevant countries in the development, utilization, protection and management of water resources.

First, formulate a strategic framework for the coordinated development of water resources between China and Central Asia and strengthen inter-regional water resources cooperation.

Second, arrange water resources cooperation projects along the Silk Road Economic Belt and build a water resources cooperation corridor.

Third, strengthen the research on the related theories and key technologies of trans-regional water resources collaborative development and protection.

Fourth, establish a cross-border water resources cooperation mechanism to improve the comprehensive management capacity of water resources.

Fifth, strengthen water resources and environmental information monitoring work, improve the support system of water resources security.

(Excerpt from "China's Population, Resources and Environment", No. 5, 2015, by Guo Lidan)