According to forecasts voiced by Nikolai Podguzov, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Development Bank (EABR), the population of Central Asia may reach 96 million by 2040. This will lead to unprecedented pressure on the region's vital systems. He noted that Central Asia is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, but this growth brings serious ecological and logistical risks.
One of the most pressing challenges is the growing shortage of water resources. Nikolai Podguzov warned that by 2028, the water deficit could range from 5 to 12 cubic kilometers per year. The situation is exacerbated by climate change and the critical state of infrastructure, leading to significant resource losses before they reach consumers. In this regard, the EABR has already begun financing projects aimed at modernizing irrigation systems and implementing digital technologies for water resource accounting in the region.
Transport remoteness also remains a serious problem. The location of Central Asia, more than 3,000 kilometers from the world's oceans, increases trade costs by 20–40%, which in turn slows the region's economic growth by 1.5 percentage points annually. To address this issue, the bank proposed the concept of creating an Eurasian transport framework, which includes the development of corridors such as the "North-South" routes and the Trans-Afghan corridor, providing direct access to the markets of South Asia and the Persian Gulf.
The head of the EABR noted that to avoid a humanitarian crisis amid demographic growth, the region urgently needs technological transformations in the areas of water resource management, energy, and transport. Large-scale investments in connectivity between territories and improving energy efficiency are key to the long-term sustainability of Central Asian countries.
