Water and Hope Flow Back into Kyrgyzstan's Hard-Hit South

Renovation of Soviet-era irrigation system brings 10,000 hectares of farmland back to life.

When Abibilla Kimsanov was a child in Kyrgyzstan, his father and uncle, who were neighbors, had serious disputes over water. They shared a self-made water canal they used to irrigate crops. But since his uncle’s house was further uphill, he was first to receive the incoming water and very often would not let Abibilla’s family get their fair share.