DRY SEASON – CENTRAL ASIA’S BATTLE FOR WATER

Anyone in Central Asia who has water, from reservoirs or the upper reaches of rivers, also has power. While the higher-lying countries of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have control over the region's two largest rivers, the Amudarja and Syrdarja, lower-lying Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are left empty-handed. A power-political disaster with devastating consequences for the already crisis-ridden region of Central Asia. Is an all-out battle for water about to erupt in Central Asia? The extent of the crisis is particularly apparent in the city of Aral in Kazakhstan, once a bustling port on the Aral Sea. What used to be the centre of a flourishing fishing industry is now a dead salt desert with contaminated soil and deserted streets where no-one ever ventures of their own free will. Will the social and economic degradation of the city be typical of the whole of Central Asia? With impressive nature shots and personal portraits of victims, this documentary examines the battle for water in Central Asia from different perspectives and offers us an insightful look at the water disaster.