Irrigation - The Times Of Central Asia

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Irrigation

Kazakhstan Sets Irrigation Limits for Southern Regions and Reduces Water-Intensive Crops

Kazakhstan has introduced limits on irrigation water use in its southern regions and is reducing the cultivation of water-intensive crops as authorities seek to prevent shortages during the 2026 growing season. At a government meeting on May 12, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said reservoirs in the country’s southern regions had accumulated 26.2 billion cubic meters of water, 500 million cubic meters more than during the same period last year. Agriculture in Kazakhstan’s arid southern regions depends heavily on water collected during the spring snowmelt period, as well as water flowing from upstream Kyrgyzstan. To avoid irrigation shortages, the government established water-consumption limits for the main agricultural regions. The Turkestan region received a limit of 3.8 billion cubic meters, followed by the Kyzylorda region with 3.2 billion cubic meters, the Almaty region with 2.1 billion cubic meters, the Zhetisu region with 1.8 billion cubic meters, and the Zhambyl region with 900 million cubic meters. Authorities said all preparatory work for the irrigation season has been completed. This included mechanized cleaning of 1,840 kilometers of irrigation canals, reconstruction of 680 kilometers of irrigation networks, and repairs to 375 hydraulic facilities. To ensure stable water supplies through the canal system, 181 pumping units have been prepared, while an additional 92 pumps are expected to be purchased. Since the beginning of the year, Kazakhstan has also shifted the process of concluding water-supply contracts with farmers to an electronic format. The new digital system covers the entire water-supply cycle, including applications, contract execution, monitoring of actual water consumption, and payment processing. To date, more than 25,000 electronic contracts have been signed with farmers. “To increase transparency and strengthen operational control over water-resource management, satellite monitoring based on Earth remote sensing is being introduced across all five southern regions of the country. Since the beginning of the year, satellite monitoring has identified 39 cases of water withdrawal without contracts in the Turkestan region, where farmers illegally used approximately 790,000 cubic meters of water,” Nurzhigitov said. At the same government meeting, Deputy Agriculture Minister Azat Sultanov said Kazakhstan plans to sow crops on a total area of 23.8 million hectares this year, 180,000 hectares more than in 2025. Priority is being given to more profitable crops. The area under oilseed cultivation will exceed 4 million hectares, while forage crops will cover 3.3 million hectares. Kazakhstan is also continuing efforts to diversify agricultural production. The area planted with grain crops will be reduced by 127,000 hectares. As part of water-saving measures, the government is cutting back on water-intensive crops such as rice and cotton. Rice cultivation areas have been reduced by 20,200 hectares. At the same time, the area under drip-irrigated cotton has increased by 29,800 hectares, while cotton grown using traditional irrigation methods has been reduced by 12,000 hectares.

Toktogul Reservoir

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Agree on Toktogul Water Releases

Energy and water ministers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan signed a trilateral protocol in Tashkent on May 7 establishing agreed water release volumes and schedules from the Toktogul Reservoir for the next two months. The Toktogul Reservoir plays a central role in maintaining water and energy stability across Central Asia. The Toktogul Hydropower Plant, located on the Naryn River, the main tributary of the Syr Darya, is Kyrgyzstan’s largest power station and supplies around 40% of the country’s electricity. The reservoir serves a dual purpose: generating electricity for Kyrgyzstan while regulating water flows essential for downstream agriculture in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. During winter, Kyrgyzstan typically increases electricity generation to meet heating demand, often lowering reservoir levels and reducing the amount of water available for irrigation during the following spring and summer. According to Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry, the newly signed protocol removes uncertainty for farmers in southern Kazakhstan at the start of the agricultural season and allows both Kazakh and Uzbek farmers to begin irrigation activities on schedule. To ensure stable water supplies throughout the remainder of the growing season, the three countries agreed to continue coordination in stages. The next ministerial meeting is scheduled for mid-June in Bishkek, where officials plan to finalize water release schedules for the critical summer months of July, August, and September. The agreement highlights the continued functioning of the region’s interstate water-energy exchange mechanism. Coordination over summer irrigation flows was preceded by extensive cooperation during the winter season. From September 2025 to April 2026, Kazakhstan supplied more than 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to Kyrgyzstan, helping the upstream country reduce winter water releases for heating and preserve additional reserves in the Toktogul Reservoir for summer irrigation needs in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. According to Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Energy Minister Altynbek Rysbekov, the Toktogul Reservoir held 7 billion cubic meters of water on April 1, 2026, down from 9.14 billion cubic meters on January 1 after the winter heating season. The reservoir’s so-called “dead water level,” the threshold below which turbines can no longer operate, stands at 6.5 billion cubic meters.

Kapchagay Reservoir

Kazakhstan’s Kapchagay Reservoir Reaches 98% Capacity

Kazakhstan’s Kapchagay Reservoir in the Almaty Region is now 98% full, holding 18.04 billion cubic meters of water, according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. The reservoir collects water from the transboundary Ili River, which originates in China, and regulates water flow into Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan’s largest lake. During the most recent non-growing season, approximately 4 billion cubic meters of water were released from the reservoir into Lake Balkhash. Officials say the near-full capacity of the reservoir will ensure sufficient irrigation supplies for agricultural land in the Akdala and Shengeldy rural districts of the Almaty Region. “We maintain constant communication with our Chinese colleagues on transboundary river issues, including the Ili River. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the two countries, farmers in the Almaty Region have been provided with a stable supply of irrigation water for the third consecutive year,” said Seilbek Nurymbetov, chairman of the ministry’s Committee for Regulation, Protection, and Use of Water Resources. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that the Kapchagay Reservoir reached full capacity in August 2024 for the first time in a decade. Created in 1970 as an artificial lake stretching roughly 100 kilometers in length and up to 25 kilometers wide in some areas, the reservoir has a total capacity of more than 18 billion cubic meters of water. The reservoir was originally designed to regulate the flow of the Ili River before it reaches Lake Balkhash. Today, it also serves irrigation, fish farming, and recreational purposes. Located about an hour’s drive from Almaty, its beaches are a popular destination for tourists and local residents. Three of Kazakhstan’s major rivers, the Irtysh, Ili, and Emel, originate in China. The Ili River alone provides about 70% of the water flowing into Lake Balkhash. Located approximately 280 kilometers northwest of Almaty, Lake Balkhash is the world’s fifteenth-largest lake.

Desertification

Environmental Pressures Affect Up to 80% of Irrigated Land in Turkmenistan

Environmental pressures in Turkmenistan are intensifying, with desertification, water scarcity, and ecological degradation posing increasing risks to agriculture and public health, according to a recent analysis cited by News-Asia. The study was prepared by experts from the Central Asia Climate Foundation (CACF)’s climate change and green energy project office ahead of a regional environmental summit scheduled for April 22–24 in Astana. Researchers warn that desertification has reached critical levels across large parts of the country. The expansion of the Karakum and Kyzylkum deserts is described as among the fastest globally, threatening farmland, infrastructure, and living standards. Land degradation is being exacerbated by overgrazing, soil salinization and inefficient water use. As a result, up to 80% of irrigated land is affected by elevated groundwater salinity, reducing soil productivity. Water scarcity remains another major challenge. Turkmenistan relies heavily on transboundary rivers, particularly the Amu Darya, leaving it vulnerable to upstream water management decisions. Climate change is also contributing to reduced flows in rivers such as the Atrek, Murgab, and Tejen. Much of the irrigation infrastructure dates back to the Soviet era and suffers from significant losses, while agriculture accounts for around 90% of total water consumption. The analysis highlights the continuing regional impact of the Aral Sea crisis. The drying of the sea has increased the frequency of salt and dust storms carrying harmful substances across Central Asia. In northern regions, including Dashoguz, medical specialists have reported rising rates of respiratory illness and other health problems linked to deteriorating air quality. Environmental risks are also growing along the Caspian Sea coast. According to the report, pollution from hydrocarbon extraction combined with declining water levels is affecting biodiversity and undermining fisheries. At the same time, the government has taken steps to address environmental challenges through national climate programs and reforestation initiatives. Turkmenistan is also participating in international projects, including a regional effort launched earlier this year to combat marine litter in the Caspian Sea with support from the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme. The upcoming summit in Astana is expected to bring together around 1,500 participants, including government officials and representatives of international organizations, to discuss coordinated responses to environmental threats. Organizers say the meeting could result in a regional action program for 2026-2030 and a joint declaration by Central Asian leaders.

Agriculture

Spring Sowing Begins in Kyrgyzstan as Officials Stress Food Security

Spring sowing has begun in Kyrgyzstan, where agricultural crops are expected to be planted on a total of 1.25 million hectares in 2026, according to the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry. Of this area, about 818,000 hectares are irrigated land and 432,000 hectares are rainfed. As of March 12, sowing was underway in the southern regions of Osh, Jalal-Abad, and Batken, as well as in the Chui Valley. Fieldwork has not yet started in the colder regions of Talas, Issyk-Kul, and Naryn. Farmers have so far planted grain crops, including wheat and barley, along with potatoes and various vegetables. The ministry has recommended that farmers prioritize crops considered important for national food security. Turatbek Idrisov, head of the ministry’s Department of Plant Growing, Horticulture, and Cooperatives, said producers should focus on socially significant crops such as wheat, barley, potatoes, onions, and sugar beet. He noted that grain crops and sugar beet are included in the country’s list of strategic food reserves. According to ministry monitoring data, the expansion of livestock farming in recent years has led to increased cultivation of fodder crops, particularly barley and maize. Officials also noted that crops such as maize, raspberries, and strawberries have demonstrated relatively high profitability for farmers. The ministry is encouraging producers to adopt water-saving irrigation technologies, including drip and sprinkler systems. Farmers who implement such methods are eligible for state-supported concessional loans with reduced interest rates. Authorities say Kyrgyzstan is currently fully self-sufficient in six of nine socially significant food products, potatoes, milk, meat, vegetables, eggs, and sugar. However, the country remains partially dependent on imports of three key staples: bread products (including flour and grain), vegetable oil, and fruit.

Qosh Tepa canal

Opinion – Qosh Tepa Canal: Transboundary Impacts Without a Transboundary Mechanism

In recent months, media attention has increasingly focused on infrastructure projects underway in Afghanistan. Chief among them is the Qosh Tepa Canal, widely seen not only as an irrigation initiative but as a development with significant transboundary implications for the Amu Darya River basin. The canal draws water from one of Central Asia’s most critical transboundary rivers. For downstream countries, primarily Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, the Amu Darya is a vital water source, directly linked to agricultural output and the sustainability of rural communities. As such, the conversation surrounding Qosh Tepa extends well beyond Afghanistan’s domestic agenda. Concerns voiced by experts and analysts stem from both the scale of the project and the absence of an inclusive, basin-wide mechanism that includes Afghanistan, which is not a party to the main post-Soviet Amu Darya allocation frameworks. As a result, discussions regarding the canal’s potential impacts are taking place largely outside formal multilateral frameworks. One positive development is the increasing presentation of Qosh Tepa within a broader context, where water flow management is recognized as a factor shaping regional political and economic relations. However, these assessments often highlight not the canal’s stated purpose, but rather the absence of a sustainable mechanism for coordinating discussion of its cross-border effects. [caption id="attachment_43173" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Image: TCATCA[/caption] A recurring concern among experts is the lack of a structured multilateral platform that enables early-stage evaluation of such projects before they are perceived as risks. Infrastructure development in the region frequently outpaces the establishment of mechanisms for joint impact assessment and management. In this light, Kazakhstan’s initiative to establish a specialized structure within the UN system, the International Water Organization, acquires particular relevance. This proposal is not about building a theoretical global agenda but about addressing a specific institutional gap: the lack of a neutral forum for technical and expert discussion of transboundary water projects at an early stage. The Qosh Tepa Canal, currently a unilateral infrastructure undertaking rather than the result of an international agreement, could serve as a test case for such a preventive mandate. While the project is already underway and its transboundary implications are actively being discussed among experts, it has not yet escalated into a regional dispute. This creates an opportunity for professional dialogue, without entanglement in political or status-related debates. The present situation can be summarized as one of “transboundary implications without a transboundary mechanism.” The project, while entirely within Afghan territory, objectively affects the interests of downstream states, yet it remains disconnected from any multilateral framework for consultation or agreement. Is it in Afghanistan’s interest to engage in multilateral formats? Though the question is often left unanswered, the answer is a clear “yes.” Such engagement would help dispel suspicion not only among Central Asian states, but also in Iran and Pakistan, both of which have voiced concerns over shared water resources. First, it would reduce negative external rhetoric. Currently, Qosh Tepa is largely discussed via external media with alarmist scenarios and with little to no Afghan participation. This reinforces the image...