"Water diplomacy": effective solution of water use issues in the Central Asian region

The experience of agriculture, cultivation of agricultural crops, construction of irrigation facilities in the Central Asian region has been formed for millennia. Our ancestors treasured every drop of water, used it rationally. They controlled riverbeds, dug channels and extracted water, planted crops, and settled settlements. For this reason, water has long been and remains one of the most important values for people, including for the peoples of Central Asia.
At the same time, both waterways and water resources of the republics of the region are closely interrelated. Therefore, it is impossible to do without "water diplomacy" with neighboring countries. It should be recognized that over the past decades, a lot of problems have accumulated in the sphere, to the solution of which the states of the region actively joined after 2017.
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, addressing this issue in his speech at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly on September 19, 2017, noted: "I am convinced that there is no alternative to solving the water problem, taking into account equally the interests of the countries and peoples of the region."
And there are many such examples. So at the first Consultative Meeting of the leaders of the Central Asian states on March 15, 2018 in Astana, the head of state once again stressed that the solution of all vital issues - from border security to the rational distribution of water resources - directly depends on the relations between the countries of the region.
At the second Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States on November 29, 2019 in Tashkent, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed to continue the search for mutually acceptable solutions to topical issues of joint water use. As a result of the far-sighted pragmatic policy of the head of our state over the past five years, friendly and trusting relations have been established between the countries of the region, which have become a solid foundation for the effective use of transboundary water resources. During visits to neighboring States, issues of joint use of transboundary water resources were discussed at the highest level.
Today, Uzbekistan is consistently developing cooperation with Central Asian states on water issues within the framework of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) and the Interstate Coordinating Water Management Commission (ICWC), in intergovernmental working groups on water use. In recent years, as a result of agreements concluded through mutually beneficial cooperation with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, positive results have been achieved in the field of water supply in the basins of the Syrdarya and Amudarya rivers.
In particular, in June-August 2022, a trilateral agreement was signed between the Ministry of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan on the use of the Bahri Tojik reservoir. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are also jointly resolving the issue of additional discharge of water from the Toktogul reservoir in the summer. To do this, the flow of electricity is carried out.
It should be noted that in the period 2021-2022, about 20 documents in the field of water management were signed with the republics at the intergovernmental and interdepartmental level.
The Syr Darya River basin receives water from Kyrgyzstan through such numerous tributaries as Naryn, Sokh, Okburasoy, Aravonsoy, Mailisa, Shokhimardonsoy, Isfayramsa. From Uzbekistan to the territory of Kyrgyzstan - through the water intake channels Pravoberezhny, Savai, South Fergana and Karkidon.
At the same time, water enters Tajikistan through the Bolshoy Ferghana and Northern Ferghana channels. At the same time, during the growing season, an average of 300 m3/s of water flows from the Syr Darya River through the territory of Uzbekistan to the Bahri Tochik reservoir located in Tajikistan. In this connection, an average of 500-550 m3/s is discharged from the reservoir.
In turn, the flow from the Bahri Tojik reservoir is supplied to the irrigated lands of the Sughd region of Tajikistan through pumping stations and the Yukori-Dalvarzin canal. In addition, the water released from this reservoir is irrigated by the Bekabad district of the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan through the channels Nizhny Dalvarzin and Bekabad. The Jizzakh and Syrdarya regions are irrigated through the Yuzhno-Mirzachulsky and Dustlik canals. At the same time, arable land in the Zhetysai and Maktaaral districts of the Turkestan region of Kazakhstan is irrigated from the Dustlik canal.
In addition, the water discharged from the Charvak reservoir through the Zakh, Honum and Bolshoy Keles channels is used to irrigate the acreage of the Saryagash, Kazygurt and Keles districts of the Turkestan region of Kazakhstan and the Tashkent, Zangiata, Kibrai and Chinaz districts of the Tashkent region.
It is also possible to supply water from the Shardara reservoir in Kazakhstan to the Arnasay reservoir (Uzbekistan).
From the Amu Darya, water is taken through a cascade of pumping stations "Amu-Zang" in Surkhandarya region, the Karshi main canal in Kashkadarya and the pumping station of the Amu-Bukhara canal in Bukhara. In turn, water is supplied to the territory of Turkmenistan through the Karshi main canal. It should be noted that six pumping stations of the Karshi main canal are located on the territory of Turkmenistan, and Uzbek water workers operate pumping stations crossing the border.
Turkmenistan receives water from the Amu Darya through the Karakum and other channels, as well as small pumping stations.
The Tuyamuyun reservoir, which supplies water to the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan, the Republic of Karakalpakstan and the Dashoguz region of Turkmenistan, is located on the border territories of the two countries. Water from the Tuyamuyun reservoir enters the Dashoguz region via the main channels Turkmendarya and Levoberezhny, as well as Hanyap, Jumabaysaka, Kilichniazboy and Kipchak-Bozsuv through the lower part of the Tuyamuyun hydroelectric complex from the left bank of the Amu Darya.
In addition, one of the main tributaries of the Surkhandarya, the Karatogdarya, originates on the territory of Tajikistan. Through several channels, such as Jonchekka-1, Jonchekka-2, Khatib, Shodmonkazak, Dayub, water flows from the territory of the neighboring state to the Surkhandarya region.
In recent years, as a result of the improvement of relations between the two countries, an additional volume of cubic meters of water has been supplied from the Varzob River (Tajikistan) to the South Surkhan reservoir through the Bolshoy Hissar Canal.
These data eloquently confirm that "water diplomacy" is of extremely important and strategic importance in relations between the countries of the Central Asian region.
At the same time, Uzbekistan is taking the initiative among the Central Asian countries to introduce water-saving and expand the possibilities of using modern technologies in water resources management in order to reduce water scarcity.
In order to increase the efficiency of water resources use, stable water supply to the population and all sectors of the economy of Uzbekistan, improve the reclamation of irrigated lands, widespread introduction of market mechanisms and digital technologies into water management, ensuring reliable operation of water facilities, the Concept of Water Management Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2020-2030 and the Strategy of Water Resources Management and development of the irrigation sector in the Republic were approved Uzbekistan for 2021-2023.
Based on these documents, the Ministry of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan is taking measures to improve the efficiency of water resources management, the introduction of water-saving and digital technologies, irrigation and reclamation works, laser land planning, timely implementation of agrotechnical measures.
This year, a separate resolution was adopted in order to further improve relations between water consumers, effective management of water resources at the grassroots, ensuring full accounting and reporting of water consumption, and involving the private sector in this process.
Redundant middle management links have been eliminated, 161 special water management services have been organized in each district irrigation department for the direct delivery of life-giving moisture, their accounting and reporting.
In order to fulfill urgent tasks of guaranteed water supply of agricultural acreage in conditions of water shortage, a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On urgent measures to ensure reliable water supply of agricultural crops in conditions of expected water shortage in 2022" was adopted on May 10 of this year. According to the decree, 769 headquarters for the organization of irrigation works have been organized in the Ministry of Water Management, large water distribution facilities and in the regions. 1,469 portable diesel and other types of pumping units have been installed in the collector and drainage networks to deliver additional volumes of irrigation water.
According to analytical data, 29 billion m3 of water was delivered during the growing season of 2022 (April-September). At the same time , savings of 6.5 billion m3 were achieved during the season .
Due to effective irrigation, a rich grain harvest has been obtained this year, rather high yields for cotton and other crops are expected.
As a result of taking measures to save valuable irrigation water by the end of the year, it is expected to save another 500 million m3 and bring the total amount of savings to 7 billion m3.

The work on the introduction of water-saving technologies continued consistently. The system started in previous years has yielded results due to the creation of subsidies and benefits by the state in Uzbekistan with the personal support of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Today, water-saving irrigation technologies have been implemented on an area of 904.4 thousand hectares, and their coverage has reached 24 percent of all irrigated areas.
It should be noted that the equipment and components of water-saving irrigation technologies were mainly imported from foreign countries. For this reason, great importance is now attached to reducing imports and increasing the number of local enterprises through localization of production in order to meet domestic demand at the expense of domestic equipment.
If there were only three such local enterprises before 2019, today there are already 46. Due to the localization of production, the cost of production has decreased from 25 million soums to 20 million per hectare. Foreign currency funds previously spent on imports are saved. At the same time, the possibility of export to neighboring republics has been created.
Modern digital technologies are being introduced in the water sector to maintain accurate accounting and reporting of water consumption, to create conditions for fair and transparent distribution among consumers according to the limit of water use.
In recent years, 9600 modern digital technologies have been introduced at water management facilities, including 4,300 Smart Water, reclamation observation wells for monitoring the groundwater level (4,000) and online monitoring installations at pumping stations for real-time monitoring of water consumption (1,250), as well as 25 management processes have been automated at large water facilities.
In 2023, 13 thousand digital installations will be installed at water management facilities.
As a result of the measures taken, about 1200 million kWh of electricity has been saved over five years. Savings of 250 million kWh are expected this year.
Also in 2022, within the framework of the program for the development of social and industrial infrastructure, it was planned to build and repair 223 irrigation and 100 reclamation facilities for 1.2 trillion soums.
As of November 1, 974.1 billion soums of capital investments have been disbursed for the construction and reconstruction of irrigation and reclamation facilities, 70 irrigation and 37 reclamation facilities have been commissioned.
In particular, 275.5 km of canals, 107.8 km of tray networks, pumping stations with a total water supply capacity of 8.3 m3/s, 15.3 km of pressurized pipes, 25 hydraulic structures, 46 irrigation wells were built, and work was carried out to strengthen the banks of canals for 11.3 km. Along with this, 472.9 km of open, 184.5 km of closed collector and drainage networks, five reclamation pumping stations, 15 bridges, 91 vertical drainage wells and 341 observation wells were built and reconstructed. As a result, the water supply of 165 thousand hectares of land and the reclamation condition of 98 thousand hectares of irrigated land have been improved.
In order to implement the principles of public-private partnership in the field of water management in recent years, contracts have been concluded with private partners for 157 projects and 214.1 km of irrigation and 538.6 km of reclamation networks, 126 pumping stations and 132 wells have been transferred to the private sector.
The total cost of these projects amounted to 1.4 trillion soums. In the first years, 141.5 billion soums of investments were invested by private partners as part of the implementation of projects.
As part of the modernization of water management facilities, the introduction of digital technologies and modern management methods, cooperation is being carried out with the United Nations Development Program, the German Society for International Cooperation, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), the International Institute of Water Resources Management, the World Water Council, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, Saudi Development Fund, other prestigious international organizations and financial institutions.
At the same time, cooperation in the field of water management is being established with countries such as Hungary and Australia.
In particular, the 24th Congress and the 73rd meeting of the ICID International Executive Council were held in Adelaide (Australia) on October 3-6, 2022. Thus, the wide world community was provided with information about the large-scale reforms in the water sector of Uzbekistan carried out at the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as well as about the fruitful cooperation of our country in the Central Asian region on the joint use of transboundary water resources, the close attention of the Government of Uzbekistan to close cooperation with the states of the Aral Sea basin on water resources management.
Within the framework of the event, a number of meetings of the delegation of Uzbekistan with the leadership of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, representatives of foreign states and international organizations were held. Thus, at a meeting with our delegation, the President of the ICID R. Ragab noted that Uzbekistan has a rich advanced experience in the field of water management. This is of great importance for establishing friendly relations with neighboring States of the region. At the same time, it was noted that it is advisable for the Uzbek side to provide practical assistance in accepting new members and attracting young specialists and experts to the organization.
On our part, a counter-proposal has been put forward to hold the next annual ICID Congress in Uzbekistan.
Bilateral negotiations were also held with representatives of one of the leading companies in Australia, Rubicon Water, on cooperation in the near future. Mutual satisfaction with the implementation of projects in Uzbekistan on the part of the company was expressed. The expediency of accelerating the localization of production of parts for equipment and technologies introduced in our country in Uzbekistan was particularly noted. In conclusion, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Rubicon Water.
As a result of the strengthening of friendly relations between our country and foreign partners, the inflow of investments is increasing. In January-October of this year, it is planned to develop foreign investments for $ 95.31 million. $100.57 million (106 percent) has been disbursed. With these funds, 248 km of canals and 589 hydraulic structures were reconstructed, 35 vertical wells for irrigation were drilled, 68 bridges were built, laser planning and deep soil loosening were performed on four thousand hectares of irrigated land.
Water management specialists are united by a noble mission - the supply of water to the population. In this context, "water diplomacy", more precisely, the water policy pursued by Uzbekistan, is focused on the wise solution of vital tasks.
Shavkat Khamrayev. 
Minister of Water Resources 
Of the Republic of Uzbekistan.