Central Asia

Quietly but steadily Central Asia's basic human and physical infrastructure, the roads, power plants, hospitals and schools and the last generation of Soviet-trained specialists who have kept this all running, is disappearing. The equipment is wearing out, the personnel retiring or dying. Post-independence regimes made little effort to maintain or replace either, and funds allocated for this purpose have largely been eaten up by corruption. This collapse has already sparked protests and contributed to the overthrow of a government. Almost two decades after independence Central Asian countries have nearly depleted the infrastructure built in Soviet times for education, healthcare, transportation and energy. At the time of the Soviet collapse in 1991 they faced three similar challenges, to introduce free market mechanisms, redefine services provided by the state, and conduct reforms without any help from Moscow. The time for reform is running out. In five to ten years there will be no teachers to lead classes and no doctors to treat the sick. The absence of electricity will become a norm. Modernizing infrastructure in Central Asia is a big challenge that demands a concerted effort from national governments, donors and the international community.