The Trend and Dominant Causes of Water Resource Challenges in Central Asia

Central Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world, due to global change. It feeds over one hundred million people and is facing severe challenges with sustainable water supply. The Tieshan Mountains are a “water tower” for Central Asia, providing critical water resources for this area. This talk presents the status and variations of water storages particularly the snow and glaciers, of the Tienshan Mountains, using observations from ground and space. The dominant causes of water resource changes is discussed