Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have agreed to jointly use irrigation water from Tajikistan’s Bahri Tojik reservoir during the summer of 2025.
The Bahri Tojik reservoir, formerly known as the Kairakkum reservoir until its renaming in 2016, is one of Tajikistan’s largest water bodies. Located in the Sughd region in the north of the country, it was constructed on the Syr Darya River and has been operational since 1959. During the summer growing season, Tajikistan typically releases additional water to support downstream countries, including Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which face seasonal irrigation shortages.
Water ministers from the three countries signed a protocol outlining the use of the reservoir from June to August 2025. The agreement aims to ensure a balanced and equitable distribution of water resources among the signatories.
For Kazakhstan, the agreement is particularly significant, as the country anticipates receiving 491 million cubic meters of water from the reservoir at the height of the growing season.
Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, stressed the importance of regional cooperation on water issues. “Kazakhstan is committed to implementing joint projects on water resources management, as well as promoting the principles of international water law. Water is not only a natural resource, but also an instrument of sustainable development and regional stability,” he said.
