International Conference | Water Management and Environmental Change in Central Asia and the MENA Region. Politics, society, and transnational connections since 1945

Sala Bortolami, Palazzo Jonoch Gulinelli - via del Vescovado, 30, Padova

Dal 05.02.2026 al 06.02.2026

This multidisciplinary conference explores the evolution of water management and agricultural policies in the semi-arid macro-region encompassing Central Asia and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) from 1945 to the present. It places particular emphasis on transnational connections across this vast area, especially the multifaceted relationships between the Soviet Union, the socialist bloc, and the Middle East.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, both Central Asia and the MENA region experienced large-scale development projects and policy initiatives in water and land management. These interventions triggered profound economic and environmental transformations, reshaping local societies and influencing international relations.

Organized within the framework of the PRIN project “Water Management and Environmental Change in Central Asia: Politics, Society and Transnational Connections (1948–2020s)”—a collaboration between the University of Padua and the University of Naples “L’Orientale”—the conference brings together scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, including historians, anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists. Participants will examine the historical trajectories, enduring legacies, and contemporary challenges of water management and land use in Central Asia and the MENA region.

Organizers:
Dr. Niccolò Pianciola (niccolo.pianciola@unipd.it)
Dr. Mauro Primavera (mauro.primavera@unipd.it)

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Photo: Olaf Tausch, The Aswan High Dam in Egypt (part.), 2009 (Wikimedia Commons)