Energy Emergency in Kyrgyzstan: Causes and Consequences. EUCAM Policy Brief #5, 19 February 2009

The energy shortage in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has deteriorated recently, with serious repercussions on the local population. Both countries are heavily dependent on hydro resources but the outdated and barely functional energy infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has had to face a number of environmental challenges, such as a cycle of dry years and harsh winters. This EUCAM Policy Brief focusses on the root causes of the energy crisis in Kyrgyzstan, assessing its implications for the wider region and looking at the role the European Union could play in working with Kyrgyzstan to improve the situation