The Blue Peace Central Asia initiative has been promoting water as an instrument of peace and cooperation in Central Asia since 2016. Countries sharing this valuable resource across transboundary river basins are supported to build dialogue on water resources management on the basis of robust evidence and science, as well as through an inter-sectoral and inter-generational approach.
Economic aspects of water cooperation are highly relevant but largely understudied. With a Water Footprint Assessment for Central Asia, we aim to contribute to a better understanding of the costs of water consumption for various uses across sectors as well as along specific agricultural value chains. The Water Footprint method looks at both direct and indirect water consumption and sheds light on the virtual water trade that occurs when countries export or import specific products. The report offers recommendations on the further use of the Water Footprint approach to inform regional cooperation and on specific policy implications that can be drawn from this first of its kind assessment in Central Asia.