How water is driving a pushback against authoritarianism in Kyrgyzstan

Once regarded as Central Asia’s “island of democracy”, Kyrgyzstan has seen that reputation fade in recent years. Now, water is strengthening local communities and encouraging cross-border cooperation, with Switzerland playing an important role. For years, the White House in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek was both a symbol of power and a flashpoint for revolt. Built in the mid-1980s as the imposing headquarters of the Kyrgyz Communist Party, it became a focal point of the power struggles and…