While there is no direct human right to electricity, access to functioning and consistent electricity is interlinked with various human rights, codified within the Declaration of Human Rights. Stable and affordable access to electricity is essential, for example, to upkeep the rights to an adequate living standard, right to education, right to information and more.
BACKGROUND
Ever since their independence, most Central Asian countries have struggled in regard to their energy production. While once well-connected and established, increased demands and a lack of modernization strategies have led to widespread energy outages, especially during wintertime. Specifically, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan struggle largely in these times, being predominantly dependent on hydro resources.
As the river flow decreases in the winter and demand increases, power outages are frequent, especially in rural areas. This is worsened because of the countries’ outdated infrastructure. All in all, the issues surrounding electricity supply in Central Asia has led to tensions both between countries and within countries.
In Kyrgyzstan, low-income rural mountainous households experience, on a weekly basis, interruptions in electricity services. 65% of Kyrgyz households indicate that they have experienced frequent power outages. In Tajikistan, this number is even higher. 70% of the populations have been said to suffer from extensive electricity shortages during the winter.
One of the worst instances was in 2008. Its severity is due to the severe weather conditions in that year, as it was the coldest it had been since 1969. In Tajikistan, that winter, the UN world food program had declared that there was an emergency shortage in food, alongside families struggling to survive in the extreme cold. One-third of the Tajik population did not have enough to eat during this winter.
THE SITUATION IN 2021
13 years later, energy remains an issue in both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. 2021 has been worse than previous years, as the existing issues are exasperated due to droughts during the summer, which have significantly lowered the water level. While Tajikistan claims that there is no energy rationing, since October, blackouts have been prominent. Especially hit are the rural hospitals, as a lot of medical facilities do not have diesel-fueled power generators, since these cannot be afforded. Doctors have stated that in cases of emergencies when there is a blackout, they wouldn’t know what to do.
Food supplies have also been affected, as specifically the meat and dairy industry struggle to keep their products from going bad. Tajikistan is generally known to be highly vulnerable to food insecurity. People who struggle with disabilities are among the worst hit within the country.
Reports of public outrage and political instability have erupted since December 17, 2021, as a report has announced an increase in electricity exports of 200% despite the shortages within the country. Many citizens feel that the Ministry of Energy is neglecting its own citizens to make profit. Corruption has been heavily alleged by experts, specifically when it comes to energy supply to Afghanistan.
In Kyrgyzstan, any repercussions due to the drought was expected to be eased by importing electricity from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. However, all three have ceased to send electricity to the country, resulting in commonplace blackouts. While Kyrgyzstan has been cited to have some of the cheapest electricity in the world, consumers still struggle to pay for it.
Since December 27, 2021, families who have not been able to pay their debts have been cut off from the energy grid. The Kyrgyz government has announced, however, that they would implement benefits starting 2022 for families with a lower income. Political tensions are rampant, however, as the energy crisis has become one of the central themes during the November 2021 Parliamentary elections.
CONCLUSION
All in all, the electricity crisis in Central Asia, and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan specifically are considered dangerous in regard topreserving human rights within the countries. As the gap between the rich and poor is further aggravated, it is specifically those already fragile who struggle disproportionally from these issues. People with disabilities or those who rely on medical care might find themselves further sidelined within a society that is already notorious for not respecting disability rights. Food shortages are further exasperated and people struggle to stay warm in extremely cold winter temperatures. Additionally, there is a fear regarding what political instability these crises bring with them.
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