Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are moving forward with the installation of ten automated hydro posts along the Syr Darya River, five in each country, as part of a joint initiative to enhance transparency and accuracy in transboundary water accounting and distribution for irrigation. The project is supported by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
The initiative was a key item on the agenda during a January 19 meeting between Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, and Uzbekistan’s Minister of Water Resources, Shavkat Khamrayev, held in the Kazakh city of Turkestan.
The Syr Darya River is critical for agricultural irrigation across Central Asia, particularly in Kazakhstan’s southern regions, Turkistan, Kyzylorda, and Zhambyl, which depend heavily on its waters. The river originates in Kyrgyzstan and flows through Uzbekistan before entering Kazakhstan.
Nurzhigitov highlighted that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan signed an intergovernmental agreement last year on the joint management and rational use of transboundary water resources. “The agreement is a significant contribution to the development of water diplomacy in Central Asia and clearly defines key areas for further mutually beneficial cooperation. We intend to continue developing our bilateral partnership in the spirit of good neighborliness, mutual respect, and constructive dialogue,” Nurzhigitov stated.
The ministers also reviewed progress on the maintenance and repair of the interstate Dostyk (Friendship) Canal, which channels irrigation water from Uzbekistan into Kazakhstan. Last year, Kazakhstan undertook mechanized cleaning of the canal’s bed, slopes, and collectors, and carried out repairs on gates and barrier structures. These efforts will continue in 2026.
Given the Syr Darya’s importance to regional agriculture, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have also launched a joint project to revise irrigation regimes within the basin. The goal is to optimize agricultural water use and improve environmental sustainability.
According to the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Aral-Syr Darya basin supplies water to more than 35% of Kazakhstan’s irrigated land, with agriculture accounting for 98% of water withdrawals.
Kazakh officials recently presented water inflow forecasts for 2026 and emphasized the urgency of boosting water-use efficiency amid continued low-flow conditions. Declining inflows into the Naryn-Syr Darya system pose a threat to irrigation supplies for the upcoming growing season.
