On April 22, a summit of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), one of the region’s prominent organizations, takes place in Astana.
The meeting of the Heads of the Founding States is especially significant because it marks the transition of the Fund’s chairmanship to Uzbekistan for the 2027-2029 period.
This will be our country’s third mandate, following leadership terms in 1997-1999 and 2013-2016. Tashkent was at the forefront of the creation of IFAS. Yet returning to this leadership role after a decade comes in a fundamentally transformed regional landscape. Today, Uzbekistan brings not only substantial experience but also a broad portfolio of initiatives that have received international recognition.
The Transformation of Uzbekistan’s Water Sector for Sustainable Development
Facing intensifying climate pressures alongside strong economic and demographic growth, Uzbekistan has made the restructuring of water resource management a core priority of state policy.
The scale of the challenge is clear in the data. Over the last 15 years, per capita water availability in the republic has fallen by more than half, from 3,000 to 1,400 cubic meters per year. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, the annual volume of water resources has dropped to 51-53 billion cubic meters, a 21% decline from 1991 levels of 64 billion cubic meters.
A major challenge remains the country’s high dependence on external sources, as approximately 80% of surface water, or 41 billion cubic meters, originates outside the country. While the water shortage did not exceed 3 billion cubic meters prior to 2015, expert forecasts indicate that the deficit could reach 7 billion cubic meters by 2030 and 15 billion cubic meters by 2050.
Recognizing the scale of these risks, Uzbekistan, under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is pursuing broad technological modernization of the water sector. In less than a decade, the area using water-saving technologies has grown from 28,000 hectares to more than 2.6 million hectares, now covering more than 60% of all irrigated land. At the same time, large-scale work continues across the country on canal concreting and the reconstruction of flume networks. By 2030, these systemic measures are projected to yield annual savings of up to 15 billion cubic meters of water.
At the same time, the sector is undergoing digitalization. Currently, 11 information platforms are being deployed to manage the water cadastre, monitor pumping stations, and track land reclamation status. Over the past four years, the management of 100 major water facilities has been fully automated, the Smart Water system has been introduced at 13,000 water intake points, and more than 1,700 pumping stations have been equipped with real-time online monitoring devices.
At the same time, the national economic model is also adapting. According to the Center for Economic Research and Reforms, the share of agriculture in GDP has declined from 32% in 2017 to 19% by 2024. Notably, against this backdrop, total agricultural production has increased by 17%. This divergence points to a transition toward more efficient resource use and higher productivity.
Regional Synergy and Water Diplomacy
At the same time, Uzbekistan is also advancing on the international water cooperation track. Most of the initiatives proposed by Tashkent within the framework of IFAS have been implemented through consolidated regional efforts and the active support of international partners.
The main focus of this work has been the ecological rehabilitation of the Aral Sea region. A network of local water bodies has been created on the dried bottom of the sea and in the Amu Darya delta, including the Sudochye, Khojakul-Karajar, and Maipost-Domalak lake systems, the Mezhdurechenskoe reservoir, as well as the Muynak, Rybachy, and Zhyltyrbas bays.
In addition, major forest reclamation projects are underway. To date, green plantations have been established across approximately 2 million hectares. In the next two years, protective belts are planned on another 400,000 hectares. The expansion of the protected natural area network, which has now reached 4.6 million hectares in the Aral Sea region, has not only reduced the emission of toxic dust but also created conditions for the revival of local flora and fauna.
International recognition of these efforts took shape in 2019 at a high-level conference in Nukus, where the designation of the Aral Sea region as a ‘Zone of Ecological Innovations and Technologies’ was advanced. The initiative, first proposed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly and the IFAS Summit in 2018, received broad support in 2021 when the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the corresponding resolution.
An important addition to these political initiatives was the launch in 2018 of the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea Region. Established at the proposal of Uzbekistan, the fund serves as a mechanism for mobilizing donor resources and coordinating international efforts to address the region’s most pressing socioeconomic and environmental challenges.
Alongside the development of these financial and humanitarian mechanisms, Uzbekistan consistently views IFAS as the preeminent platform for regional interaction in the water and environmental sphere, playing a unique role in ensuring stability in Central Asia. Through the qualitative strengthening of this organization, Tashkent intends to further promote the consolidated interests of the region on the global stage.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan is promoting multilateral cooperation formats. A steadfast commitment to the principles of good-neighborliness and proactivity has paved the way for a constructive dialogue on the joint management of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya water resources.
Concrete examples of this synergy include the agreements between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan on the operation of the ‘Bahri Tojik’ reservoir, as well as the landmark decisions by Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan regarding the Toktogul reservoir and the ‘Kambarata-1’ HPP construction project.
In light of the growing water shortage, a logical continuation of these efforts is a shift toward long-term strategic planning. To this end, during the Seventh Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State, the President of Uzbekistan proposed declaring 2026-2036 the Decade of Practical Actions for the Rational Use of Water in Central Asia. Recognizing that effective management is unattainable without a highly skilled workforce, Tashkent also plans to establish a Regional Center of Competence in Water Management at the TIIAME National Research University.
A critical vector of regional water cooperation remains the establishment of a dialogue with Afghanistan. Uzbekistan advocates the gradual involvement of Kabul in regional partnerships on the basis of a balance of interests. As practical steps, Tashkent proposes joint monitoring of transboundary rivers, the real-time exchange of hydrometeorological data, and the creation of permanent expert platforms. These measures are intended to lay the foundation for fair and rational water use throughout the region.
In summary, large-scale internal reforms combined with a proactive foreign policy have created a solid foundation for Uzbekistan’s upcoming chairmanship of IFAS. During its 2027-2029 mandate, the state intends to prioritize the renewal of the Fund’s regulatory and institutional framework. At the same time, efforts will remain focused on improving socioeconomic conditions, strengthening ecological safeguards, and identifying sustainable ways to increase the region’s water supply. Ultimately, Tashkent aims to raise the international standing of IFAS, making water and environmental cooperation a cornerstone of sustainable development and long-term stability in Central Asia.
