ABSTRACT
This chapter defines the broader context within which hydropolitics in Central Asia unfold, offering a general overview of the main events that occurred in the period 1991–2015. This will serve as a background for the examination of the two case studies. The chapter is divided into three main sections. The first section provides some key definitions and delineates the key principles of international water law and Soviet water law. The second section introduces the Aral Sea basin, and the third section outlines the development of hydropolitics in Central Asia, identifying three stages in regional water relations.
