transboundary water - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 3

Central Asian Countries Set 2024 Quotas for Amu Darya, Syr Darya River Water Usage

Last week in Kazakhstan, delegates came together for the 87th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) of Central Asia, where they discussed the potential and limitations of regional water reservoirs ahead of the 2023-2024 agricultural growing season. According to the ICWC, some of the more pressing questions focused on confirming limits of water usage for the 2024 growing season for the Syr Darya and Amu Darya river basins and the prognosis for water release from the reservoirs in those basins. There's still no information on how much water will be sent to the Aral Sea basin. In accordance with the quota, the draw on water from the Amu Darya watershed will be 56 billion cubic meters for the year, with about 40 billion cubic meters to be used in the April-to-October growing season. As stated in the ICWC agreement, Uzbekistan will receive 16 billion cubic meters, Turkmenistan 15.5 billion cubic meters, and Tajikistan will get 6.9 billion cubic meters. The Syr Darya's water use quota for this year's growing season is around 11.9 billion cubic meters, with 8.8 billion cubic meters going to Uzbekistan, 1.9 billion cubic meters for Tajikistan, 920 million cubic meters for Kazakhstan, and 270 million cubic meters for Kyrgyzstan. According to the ICWC, the totals for irrigated lands by Central Asian country are 4.3 million hectares in Uzbekistan, 2.5 million hectares in Kazakhstan, 1.9 million hectares in Turkmenistan, 1 million hectares in Kyrgyzstan, and 680,000 in Tajikistan.

business and economy Allied relations transboundary water Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan

Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Enhance Allied Relations

On April 19 Astana hosted the sixth meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Chaired by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, discussions focused on the development of bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, investment, and agriculture, in addition to joint projects regarding transport, water use and energy resources. The two leaders then signed an Agreement on Deepening and Expanding Allied Relations, aimed at providing a new impetus to the development of Kazakh-Kyrgyz relations. During the conference, Kyrgyz President Japarov stated, “Kazakhstan is our close neighbour, a fraternal country and one of our main trading partners. Kazakhstan is a priority in our foreign policy. There are no political or regional differences between our countries.” In support, President Tokayev expressed his wish for there to be no unresolved issues between the two neighbouring countries and drew particular attention to the need to strengthen trade and economic ties. Kazakhstan is currently one of Kyrgyzstan’s key partners in trade and investment. Last year, mutual trade turnover reached $1.5 billion and during their talks, the leaders confirmed their intention to increase that figure to $2 billion. The parties also signed an Agreement on Mutual Protection of Investments. Referencing measures to expand the volume of goods transported across the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border and improvements in customs clearance, Tokayev stated, “We have started modernizing the border checkpoints at Karasu, Besagash, Aukhatty, Sartob, Aisha Bibi, Sypatay Batyr, and Kegen. Each will be equipped with digital technologies, with work expected to be completed by 2028.” President Japarov, in turn, announced that an agreement had been reached to resume the operation of the Kichi-Kapka and Kamyshanovka checkpoints to help increase bilateral trade and relieve congestion. Turning to the importance of interaction in the water and energy sector, the Kazakh president said, “In recent years, the urgency of efficient and equitable use of transboundary water resources has increased. We shall continue our coordinated work and have agreed to soon give approval to a schedule for interstate water management structures and implement it in a timely manner. Kazakhstan is ready to fulfil all obligations and jointly implement important projects.”

Kazakhstan transboundary water Uzbekistan

Kazakhstan And Uzbekistan To Install Transboundary Water Meters

Since the use of transboundary water resources for irrigation remains a pressing issue in Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have agreed to install meters to calculate the exact volume of water consumed by both countries. Kazakhstan will install meters on the territory of Uzbekistan, and the Uzbek side will install meters in Kazakhstan. Experts from both countries are currently determining the best locations of the meters. Negotiations are also underway for the involvement of international organizations in the project. Emphasizing the importance of the agreement for Kazakhstan, which is located downstream of the region’s rivers, the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov stated, “The installation of meters will make it possible to monitor the volumes of water consumed by both countries online. In April, we plan to begin negotiations on the implementation of similar projects with Kazakhstan’s other neighbours.”