IFPRI CENTRAL ASIA NEWS WEEKLY DIGEST (JUNE 2 – JUNE 8, 2015)
News and Analysis
ADB Operations in Tajikistan Remain Strong – Performance Review
(ADB, 2 June 2015) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) together with the Government of Tajikistan conducted its Annual Country Portfolio Performance Review according to which transport accounts for about 35% of the bank’s investment portfolio in the country. Overall, around 83% of ADB’s portfolio is concentrated in three key sectors: energy (36%), transport (35%), and agriculture and natural resources (12%), according to the article
DDG Shark urges support for three more accessions by Nairobi Conference
(WTO, 2 June 2015) Deputy Director-General David Shark, in opening the Third China Round Table on WTO Accessions in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on 2 June, told participants that “with your support, the WTO is on the threshold of concluding three more accessions this year – Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Liberia”. Nairobi Conference, the Fourth China Round Table, will be hosted by the Government of Kenya on the margins of the 10th Ministerial Conference, in Nairobi, from 12 to 13 December.
Developments in South and Central Asia
(U.S. Department of State, 2 June 2015) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs made remarks on developments in the region. Particularly on Central Asia, Richard E. Hoagland stressed that “Central Asia is not a monolithic region – it’s a diverse group of states with diverse sets of national interests, and we adjust our approach according to the specific conditions of each.” He also suggested that US will focus on supporting greater connectivity in the region, and cooperate with China to advance common goals for the region.
Locust infestations reportedly hit more than 70,300 ha of farmland in Tajikistan
(Asia Plus, 2 June 2015) Recent locust infestations have reportedly hit more than 70,300 hectares of farmland in Tajikistan, according to the State Unitary Enterprise “Locust Control”, says the article. More than 1,000 people have reportedly been involved in the locust-combating campaign and relevant international organizations are providing assistance to fight against locust infestation in the country.
World Bank Helps Identify Agricultural Risks for Kazakhstan
(WB, 3 June 2015) The World Bank’s "Agricultural Risks Study on Kazakhstan and Central Asia" was discussed in Astana, according to the WB press release. The study finds that Kazakhstan’s agricultural production is highly reliant on weather fluctuations and may vary by 27% depending on weather conditions. The WB also informs that responding to a request by the governments of Central Asia, the bank carried out the National Agriculture Sector Risk Assessments for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan. Once finalized, the report will be available on the World Bank website.
Government of Uzbekistan sets procurement price for grain commodities for 2015 harvest (in Russian)
(Uzreport, 8 June 2015) Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan sets prices for wheat procurement for 2015 harvest. Farmers are paid for the harvest according to the prices set once every year by the government. “Uzdonmahsulot” JSC and “Agrobank” JSC are national entities responsible for timely payments for the outputs as well as services delivered during the harvesting season of 2015. The article publishes the list of prices for range of grain commodities with different qualities.
Why are migrants fleeing Moscow?
(The Guardian, 8 June 2015) The article investigates reasons of mass exodus of migrant workers from Russia, and suggests low wages, strict new permits and openly racist apartment listings are few reasons why millions of Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and Tajiks, who power Moscow’s huge economy, may prefer not to stay in Russia anymore. It is not only more migrants leaving Russia amid economic slowdown and depreciation of Russian currency, but also the Federal Migration Service of Russia suggests the number of immigrants entering Russia in the first half of January was 70% less than during the same period the year before.
Publications
A long-term context (931–2005 C.E.) for rapid warming over Central Asia
(N.K. Davi, et.al. 2015. Quaternary Science Reviews. Vol. 21)
Abstract: Warming over Mongolia and Central Asia has been unusually rapid over the past few decades, particularly in the summer, with surface temperature anomalies higher than for much of the globe. With few temperature station records available in this remote region prior to the 1950s, paleoclimatic data must be used to understand annual-to-centennial scale climate variability, local response to large-scale forcing mechanisms, and the significance of major features of the past millennium such as the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and Little Ice Age (LIA) both of which can vary globally. Here we use an extensive collection of living and subfossil wood samples from temperature-sensitive trees to produce a millennial-length, validated reconstruction of summer temperatures for Mongolia and Central Asia from 931 to 2005 CE. This tree-ring reconstruction shows general agreement with the MCA (warming) and LIA (cooling) trends, a significant volcanic signature, and warming in the 20th and 21st Century. Recent warming (2000–2005) exceeds that from any other time and is concurrent with, and likely exacerbated, the impact of extreme drought (1999–2002) that resulted in massive livestock loss across Mongolia.
The Role of Donors in Addressing Water Problems in Central Asia
(V. Dukhovny, V. Sokolov and D. Ziganshina. 2015. Irrigation and Drainage. Early online version)
Abstract Highlights: This paper examines the role of donors in addressing a complex set of water-related challenges in Central Asia and draws some lessons with a view to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of development assistance in the region. Despite significant donor contribution, the last several years have also demonstrated weaknesses in donors' activities in the region, which is especially discouraging, given the increased tensions over competing uses of water for hydropower upstream and irrigation and ecosystem demands downstream. The article highlights lack of sound coordination; avoidable involvement of international experts and ignorance of local capacity; and cut in support of regional water-related projects as main weaknesses in donor activities.
(C. Hatcher and S. Thieme. 2015. Urban Studies. Early online version)
Abstract: Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, there has been remarkable enthusiasm for theorising how transitional processes have unfolded in post-socialist cities. In seeking to extend literature that uses the post-socialist condition as a tool for theory building, we draw attention to the ongoing processes of institutional change in post-socialist cities. In doing so, we reject a ‘top-down’ perspective and examine how these institutional transitions are shaped through processes of ‘domestication’, negotiation and contestation between different interest groups in the city. We develop our argument, by drawing attention to the local political debates surrounding the propiska in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The propiska developed throughout the Soviet Union to control internal migration and is still used today in a less restrictive form. By discussing our case study, we hope to foster attention towards the ongoing contested processes of institutional transition in post-socialist cities.
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