FOOD SECURITY IN CENTRAL ASIA: CHALLENGES AND PATHWAYS TO RESILIENCE

Year 2026, Volume: 8 Issue: 2 , 185 - 202 , 01.05.2026

Berik Aryn Abdelaziz Hajjaji

https://izlik.org/JA75XE76MY

Abstract

Food security is a complex challenge in Central Asia, impacted by climate change, water scarcity, land degradation, and disconnected governance systems. Although the region has high agricultural potential, particularly in cereals and irrigated agriculture, food security conditions differ across countries. This research explores the major issues underlying food security in Central Asia, including limited agricultural land, production trends, socio-economic vulnerabilities, and policy context. It also identifies systemic weaknesses, including inconsistencies across agriculture, water, and energy policies. At the same time, it highlights opportunities to strengthen food system resilience through better data, early warning systems, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable water governance, regional cooperation, and stakeholder engagement. This work adopts a qualitative comparative analysis based on national strategies, official government reports, and academic literature. The findings recommend a regional roadmap for long-term food security and conclude that strengthening regional coordination, improving water governance, and investing in climate-resilient agriculture are essential for Central Asia.

Keywords

Food security , Central Asia , Climate change , Water governance , Regional cooperation

Ethical Statement

This work did not require approval from an ethics committee as it did not involve human participants, animals, or sensitive personal data. All data used in this research were obtained from publicly available sources.

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