“Disagreements between upstream (Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) and downstream (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan) countries have increased regional tensions and slowed development initiatives,” he said.

“We seek to work with partners, such as the European Union and the UN Center for Preventative Diplomacy in Ashgabat, to improve cooperation on these issues and adopt market driven exchanges that incorporate international standards for riparian resources,” US diplomat said.

“We believe that the prudent development of the region’s hydro potential can increase domestic energy supply and, in the future, provide earnings from exports south to Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Krol said.

He said: “Development of hydropower projects must be done in cooperation between upstream and downstream countries to avoid potential conflicts. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan need the water for agriculture, but Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan also need reliable access to gas and oil. And as Afghanistan stabilizes, it too will need to work with its Central Asian neighbors on a fair and equitable sharing of water resources”.