Snow is the main source of water in Central Asia, but it lasts 40 days less than at the beginning of the century. Scientists discuss the region's water security.

Over the past 30 years, the glacier area in Central Asia has shrunk by a quarter, with the number of snowy days decreasing by 1.5-2 days annually. This means summer river volumes will decrease while spring flood risks will increase, according to researcher Abror Gafurov from the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

Research on Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor glacier shows a troubling trend: its area decreased by 25% from 1993 to 2023. Snow cover in Central Asian mountains now lasts 30-40 days less than in the early 2000s.

Since snow provides more than half of the region's water supply compared to glaciers' 20%, reduced snow cover represents the main challenge for Central Asia.

Without systemic monitoring and management, the region could face serious water problems within decades.

Read the full story at https://www.gazeta.uz/ru/2025/09/23/water-security/