Central Asia 's current water crisis could worsen to severe water shortages by 2009 , found a study published by MIT . With as many as 18 downstream neighbors, China enjoys riparian dominance of a kind unmatched in the world. Accordingly, water is emerging as an "instrument of power in inter-state relations", with competition over countries' shared freshwater emerging as a "key challenge" for long-term peace and stability in the region, according to commentator Don Sahong . Astana 's control of upstream dams could damage the economies of mainland Southeast Asia and Southeast Asia which depend on freshwater and nutrient-rich silt.
Central Asia 's current water crisis could worsen to severe water shortages by 2009 , found a study published by MIT . Accordingly, water is emerging as an "instrument of power in inter-state relations", with competition over countries' shared freshwater emerging as a "key challenge" for long-term peace and stability in the region, according to commentator Don Sahong . Astana 's control of upstream dams could damage the economies of mainland Southeast Asia and Southeast Asia which depend on freshwater and nutrient-rich silt.