Page 279 – The Times Of Central Asia

16 May 2025

Environment, Kazakhstan Environment, Home, Kazakhstan, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees

Afghanistan’s Qosh-Tepa Canal Could Impact Kazakhstan’s Water Security

May 16, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

The construction of the Qosh-Tepa Canal in Afghanistan and its potential implications for Central Asia’s water security were central topics at the recent international conference, Water Security and Transboundary Water Use: Challenges and Solutions, held in Astana. Delegates from Turkey, Israel, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan convened to address the canal’s possible repercussions and broader issues of regional water distribution.

Potential Threats to the Syr Darya

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Aslan Abdraimov, warned that the Qosh-Tepa Canal could significantly reduce the flow of the Syr Darya River, with direct consequences for the already depleted Aral Sea. While Kazakhstan does not share a border with Afghanistan, the canal’s impact is expected to ripple across the region.

“No sharp fluctuations in water resources are expected in the near term, but in the long term, a reduction in the Syr Darya’s flow is inevitable,” Abdraimov stated. He emphasized that this would further strain the fragile water balance in the Aral Sea basin.

The Aral Sea’s degradation has been ongoing for decades, largely due to the diversion of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for agricultural use, primarily for irrigating cotton and wheat fields. These diversions have contributed heavily to the sea’s dramatic shrinkage.

Azamatkhan Amirtayev, chairman of Kazakhstan’s Baytak Party, expressed concern that the Qosh-Tepa Canal could divert 25-30% of the Amu Darya’s flow. “This means that Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan will receive less water. Consequently, Uzbekistan may draw more from the Syr Darya, leading to reduced water availability for Kazakhstan, potentially by 30-40%,” Amirtayev said. He urged for regional cooperation and scientifically informed policymaking to mitigate water losses.

The Qosh-Tepa Canal and Its Regional Consequences

The Qosh-Tepa Canal, under construction in northern Afghanistan, is designed to stretch 285 kilometers and span approximately 100 meters in width. Once operational, it is expected to irrigate over 500,000 hectares of farmland by diverting up to 10 cubic kilometers of water annually from the Amu Darya, roughly a quarter of the river’s average flow.

Such a significant withdrawal could disrupt the hydrological balance across Central Asia. Reduced flows in the Syr Darya may accelerate the desiccation of the Aral Sea and exacerbate ecological degradation in Kazakhstan’s downstream regions.

Experts at the conference underscored the urgency of strengthening regional water diplomacy and establishing new cooperative frameworks to ensure sustainable water usage and prevent environmental disasters.

Hope for Dialogue

Afghan representatives have previously signaled a willingness to engage in dialogue on water resource management. Observers suggest that joint initiatives in water management could play a key role in easing regional tensions and improving environmental outcomes.

As the region faces mounting water stress due to climate change, population growth, and infrastructure development, coordinated action among Central Asian states and Afghanistan is increasingly seen as essential for long-term water security.

16 May 2025

Home, Uzbekistan, International Affairs, Uzbekistan International Affairs

Ukraine Appoints New Ambassador to Türkiye, Born in Uzbekistan

May 16, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Nariman Dzhelal as Ukraine’s new ambassador to Türkiye, according to RBC-Ukraine. The appointment was formalized in a presidential decree signed earlier this month, the president’s press service reported.

Dzhelal, a Crimean Tatar politician, journalist, and human rights advocate was born on April 27, 1980, in Navoi, Uzbekistan. His family returned to Crimea in 1989.

According to Ukrainian media, Dzhelal graduated from the Political Science Department at Odesa National University. He began his career as a journalist at Avdet, a Crimean Tatar newspaper, and later worked for the ATR television channel. He also taught history and law at an international school in Simferopol.

Dzhelal entered politics in 2013 when he was elected first deputy chairman of the Mejlis, the representative body of the Crimean Tatar people. Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Dzhelal remained in the region, where he continued to advocate for the rights of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians. He monitored human rights abuses and participated in trials widely regarded as politically motivated.

In 2021, after attending the inaugural Crimea Platform summit, Dzhelal was detained by the Russian security services and accused of sabotage. In 2022, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that he was released in a prisoner exchange in June 2024 and returned to Ukraine.

Dzhelal’s appointment to the post in Ankara underscores Türkiye’s pivotal role in Ukraine’s diplomatic strategy.

15 May 2025

Central Asia, Life & Culture, Kazakhstan

Baikonur Cosmodrome Gears Up for 70th Anniversary; Trespassers Detained

May 16, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

Two European tourists have been detained while trying to take photographs at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russian media reported on Thursday, as officials prepare to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Russia-operated spaceflight center on June 2.

“The men were trying to sneak to the Buran rocket and take photos,” an unidentified law enforcement official told Russia’s state news agency TASS, which reported on Thursday that the men, who were from Czechia, also known as the Czech Republic, were released after being fined 5,000 rubles, or $60.

The trespassers were the latest in a long list of space enthusiasts and adventure-seekers who have tried to get close to a Soviet-era facility that pioneered early space exploration and remains a vital if aging part of Russia’s space program. The disused Buran spacecraft, a space shuttle that was developed in the 1970s and 1980s by the Soviet Union, is an object of particular fascination. The Buran flew once in 1988, but the program was abandoned because of high costs and a lack of purpose.

Russian and Kazakh media, meanwhile, are reporting on plans for anniversary celebrations at the cosmodrome, which is serviced by a city of the same name in the desert environment in southern Kazakhstan.

Some rocket mock-ups will be on display and an open-air museum is being set up, the Kazinform news agency reported.

One of the mock-ups is 22 meters high and is a model of the Soviet N1 lunar rocket that failed in its four test launches in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Space journalist Anatoly Zak was not impressed by the planned display, saying on X that he is concerned about reports that Russia is destroying “artifacts and documents” that illuminate the historical record of the Soviet space program.

Another piece of Baikonur history occurred on Saturday when a Venus-bound lander probe, which launched from the cosmodrome in 1972 but never got out of Earth’s orbit, made an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Russian space agency Roscosmos said the lander fell in the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta, though questions remain about its fate, including whether it burned up during re-entry or somehow remained intact.

15 May 2025

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Life & Culture, Uzbekistan Life & Culture

Afghanistan Delivers White Marble to Uzbekistan for Imam Bukhari Complex

May 15, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Afghanistan has delivered 16 truckloads of white marble from Herat to Uzbekistan for use in the construction of the Imam Bukhari complex in Samarkand, according to the Surkhandarya regional administration. The marble will contribute to the ongoing development of the religious and cultural site dedicated to the revered Islamic scholar.

The marble was officially transferred at the Termez International Trade Center during a meeting between Uzbek and Afghan officials.

According to Uzbekistan’s state news agency UzA, the first shipment comprises 324 boxes of rare white marble, with each slab measuring 3.5 to 4 centimeters thick.

Expanding Bilateral Relations

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have been expanding bilateral relations in recent years. In March, Uzbekistan sent nearly 200 tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, including flour, pasta, oil, sugar, and other essential supplies.

Looking ahead, the two nations aim to boost annual trade to $3 billion. In 2023, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan totaled $866 million.

15 May 2025

Environment, Home, Kazakhstan Environment, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Featurees

Kazakhstan Declares Kentau Industrial Zone an Ecological Emergency Area

May 15, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan has officially designated the industrial zone of Kentau, located in the Turkestan region, as an ecological emergency area. Minister Yerlan Nysanbayev signed the corresponding order, introducing a special legal status for a 900-hectare zone on the city’s northern outskirts.

Restrictions and Emergency Measures

Published on the government’s official legal portal, the document outlines a series of prohibitions and restrictions intended to address the long-standing environmental crisis. The status is effective until January 1, 2075, and applies to an unpopulated industrial zone.

The Akimat of the Turkestan region has been directed to consider implementing the following measures:

Regulating vehicle entry and exit
Prohibiting the construction of new facilities and expansion of existing enterprises unless related to mitigating the environmental disaster or supporting essential public services
Resettling residents from hazardous zones, with the provision of temporary or permanent housing
Banning the construction and operation of environmentally hazardous facilities
Restricting the operations of health and resort institutions within the emergency area
Forbidding activities that could endanger human health, flora, fauna, or the environment

Additionally, the regional government is tasked with formulating a comprehensive action plan to stabilize the ecological situation and reduce environmental harm. Continuous monitoring will be carried out under Article 409 of Kazakhstan’s Environmental Code.

Map-of the location declared an emergency zone; image: zan.gov.kz

Background of the Crisis

Kentau, a city with regional subordination, lies at the southern base of the Karatau Ridge, approximately 24 kilometers from Turkestan and 190 kilometers from Shymkent. Founded in 1955 atop the former Mirgalimsay workers’ settlement, the city grew around the development of the Achisai polymetallic deposit. Today, it has a population of around 75,000.

The Kentau industrial zone has long hosted several major enterprises, whose operations have severely impacted the local environment. Calls for governmental intervention have intensified in recent years.

In June 2024, Senator Murat Kadyrbek urged authorities to declare Kentau an ecological disaster zone and allocate 6 billion KZT ($12 million) in compensation to affected residents. He cited studies showing a decline in both public health and environmental quality. Kadyrbek also appealed to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection to introduce a 20% salary allowance for public sector workers residing in the disaster zone.

Environmental experts and activists have repeatedly flagged dangerous levels of air pollution, elevated concentrations of heavy metals in soil, poor water quality, and a radioactive anomaly within the agglomeration area.

While the Ministry’s recent designation is seen as a positive step toward environmental stabilization, experts stress that sustained investment and strategic long-term planning will be essential for meaningful recovery.

Kentau is not the only locality in the Turkestan region grappling with ecological issues. Other affected areas include the Shardara and Arys districts, as well as the city of Turkestan, all located within the pre-crisis zone of the desiccating Aral Sea.

15 May 2025

Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Local Politics, Kyrgyzstan Local Politics

Kyrgyz Farmers to Pay Less for Irrigation Water Following Tariff Reform

May 15, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

Kyrgyzstan has revised its irrigation water tariffs for agricultural land following a comprehensive review by the Water Resources Service. The analysis revealed that farmers have been significantly overpaying for water due to intermediary pricing by the Water Users Association.

According to Melis Raimkulov, Deputy Director of the Water Resources Service, farmers were paying as much as 2,000 KGS ($23) per hectare, four times the actual rate of 500 KGS ($5.50). “In fact, the tariff has not changed, but now we have formalized it and calculate it based on irrigation norms,” Raimkulov explained. “According to these norms, about 1,100 cubic meters of water are needed to irrigate one hectare of land during the irrigation season.”

The Water Users Association, a private entity responsible for collecting irrigation payments, had been setting prices independently, often without transparency. Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, Bakyt Torobaev, criticized the association’s practices, noting that rates during the irrigation season ranged from 1,000 to 2,500 KGS ($11 to $29) per hectare, and in some cases, reached as high as 10,000-15,000 KGS ($115-$170). “But no one knows if enough water was provided,” Torobaev remarked.

The Ministry of Agriculture estimates that the Water Users Association collected approximately 1.5 billion KGS ($17 million) per season, though the allocation of those funds remains unclear. In response, the government has transferred responsibility for fee collection to the Water Resources Service. The proceeds will now be directed toward improving the country’s water infrastructure.

According to official data, spring sowing in Kyrgyzstan is nearly complete, with 80% of the planned area already cultivated.