ABSTRACT
The Soviet political system and the pursuit of rigid command-style economic planning were the main causes of environmental degradation in Central Asia.1
The strong centralisation of the political structures and decision-making procedures created a giant physical and cognitive gap between the Politburo in Moscow and the conditions of everyday life in the provinces. The subservient political culture of the local party élite contributed to this, as did the practices of the communist bureaucracy. There were no independent political and legal institutions able or willing to control or correct unsound policies. Furthermore, the impact of soil erosion, salinisation, decreasing water supply and the pollution of water and soil due to the intensive application of pesticides were disregarded. This reinforced the image of never-ending economic and social progress in the Soviet republics of Central Asia.
