Water Management - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 36

Kazakhstan Increases Water Allocation to Restore the Aral Sea

Kazakhstan plans to direct an additional 1.6 billion cubic meters of water to the Aral Sea by April 2025, announced Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation. This initiative builds on efforts from October 2023 to April 2024, during which 1.3 billion cubic meters were allocated, bringing the total water volume in the Northern Aral Sea to 22 billion cubic meters as of early 2024. Minister Nurzhigitov emphasized that adopting water-saving technologies is essential for restoring the region’s water balance. In 2024, farmers in the Kyzylorda region conserved 200 million cubic meters of water, enabling additional flow into the Northern Aral. These technologies also facilitated the allocation of 1 billion cubic meters to the Aral Sea during the 2024 irrigation season, a threefold increase compared to the previous year. The preservation of the Aral Sea is a national priority, addressed through regional collaboration and strategic planning. At the 87th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia (ICWC) in Turkmenistan, agreements were made to channel 11 billion cubic meters of water to the Shardara reservoir by April 1, 2025. This move aims to ensure sufficient irrigation for southern Kazakhstan’s 2025 growing season.

EBRD Loans & Grants Water Access Infrastructure Development Water Management

EBRD Supports Water Infrastructure Upgrades in Northern Kyrgyzstan

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a financial package of up to €17 million to upgrade water infrastructure in three cities in northern Kyrgyzstan. The funding includes a loan of up to €7.6 million and a matching grant. The funds will be used to modernize water supply networks, upgrade pumping stations, install water meters in Kemin and Shopokov, and restore wastewater treatment and sewerage systems in Talas. In addition to the financial package, the projects will receive a technical cooperation grant of up to €1.8 million. This grant will support the implementation process and the corporate development of municipal utilities in the three cities. Hüseyin Özhan, EBRD Managing Director for Central Asia, highlighted the Bank's role as a key lender to Kyrgyzstan’s water sector. “We have supported 31 water projects for the amount of more than €190 million in 26 cities across the Kyrgyz Republic to date. They are helping households and businesses to have regular access to high-quality water and wastewater services,” Özhan stated. Since beginning its operations in Kyrgyzstan in 1992, the EBRD has invested approximately €998 million across 250 projects. These initiatives primarily focus on sustainable infrastructure and private sector development, significantly improving living conditions and economic opportunities in the region.

International Cooperation Water Management water saving Water resources

Kazakhstan Secures Agreement for 11 Billion Cubic Meters of Water from Neighboring Countries by April 2025

Kazakhstan will receive approximately 11 billion cubic meters of irrigation water from the Syr Darya River by April 2025, following an agreement made by Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, with representatives from neighboring Central Asian countries. The accord was reached at the 87th meeting of the Interstate Coordination Water Management Commission held last week in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and attended by water ministry leaders from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, with Kyrgyzstan as an observer. This substantial water supply is expected to fill the Shardara reservoir in southern Kazakhstan by April 1, 2025, providing enough water for the region's 2025 irrigation season. Given Kazakhstan’s reliance on irrigation for agriculture, particularly in the arid south, the flow from upstream countries like Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan is vital. Nurzhigitov noted, "This year, thanks to negotiations and joint actions, we ensured the effective water distribution in the Syrdarya River basin. Agreements on water and energy cooperation with Kyrgyzstan were implemented, and measures were taken to coordinate the operating mode of the Bakhri-Tojik reservoir [in Tajikistan] during this year’s irrigation season.”

Agriculture Digitalization Water Management water saving Water Security Energy Security

Uzbekistan Aims to Develop Agriculture with Smarter Water and Energy Use

Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev recently held a meeting on the efficient use of water and energy in agriculture. More than 1,600 pumping stations currently use 6.8 billion kilowatts of electricity to irrigate 2.5 million hectares. Through the partnership, electricity consumption can be reduced by 20% by upgrading pumps and solar panels. For example, 92 farmers installed modern pumps in the Khorezm region, saving 20% of electricity. Some sold excess solar energy to the state and received an additional monthly income of 7-8 million UZS ($548-626). Water-saving technologies have helped Uzbekistan save 2 billion cubic meters of water in an area of more than 2 million hectares, and more than 50 local companies are producing these devices. However, some drip irrigation systems are still not working, and the 10 billion UZS ($780,000) subsidy allocated for laser leveling in Karakalpakstan hasn’t been used. Khorezm was also instructed to extend the subsidy for laser leveling to 1 million UZS ($78.00) per hectare and improve control over these technologies. Next year, 700 billion UZS ($54 million) in subsidies and 2.5 trillion UZS ($195 million) in credit will be used for water-saving technology. Additionally, flood reservoirs will be built in 13 districts, improving the water supply for 50,000 hectares. Mirziyoyev emphasized that real change requires digitization. About 1,700 online monitoring devices and 12,000 smart water devices are already in place, but Uzbekistan needs a system to collect and analyze this data. To address this, a Water Management Digitization Center will be set up to manage a new unified system for tracking water use.

Water Management Environmental Awareness Aral Sea Environmental Disaster Water-Saving Technologies water saving

200 Million Cubic Meters of Water Directed to the Aral Sea

In 2024, agrarians from the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan introduced water-saving technologies on 55,000 hectares of rice fields, saving over 200 million cubic meters of water. These saved resources were directed to the Aral Sea, helping to improve its water levels. During this year's irrigation season, about a billion cubic meters of water were delivered to the Northern Aral, three times more than last year. Since the beginning of the year, the volume of water sent to the sea has reached 2 billion cubic meters, and the total water in the sea has reached 22 billion cubic meters. Kazakhstan's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, emphasized that this result was made possible not only by effective water diplomacy with neighboring Central Asian countries but also by actively using water-saving technologies. To encourage their use, the government has increased subsidies to farmers. In 2024, subsidies rose from 50% to 80%, and in the next three years, will be brought to 85% for small-scale farms using efficient irrigation methods. These measures aim to further restore the Aral Sea's water level, which is one of the region's leading environmental objectives. Successes in water conservation demonstrates that innovative technologies can be crucial for addressing perennial water scarcity and ecosystem restoration. Water diplomacy in Central Asia plays a crucial role in solving the problem of water level reduction in the Aral Sea. Uzbekistan is actively cooperating with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan on the rational use of water resources in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins. One critical steps was the signing of an agreement on the exchange of electricity between the countries, which has allowed the volume of water used for irrigation to be regulated, and improved the state of the region's ecosystem. In addition, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are actively introducing water-saving technologies to optimize water consumption in agriculture, which is freeing up resources to replenish the Aral Sea. These measures have helped to increase water inflow to the Northern Aral Sea in recent years, maintaining its level and improving conditions for local ecosystems.

Water Management Economic Cooperation Renewable Energy Generation HPP Energy Infrastructure Economy

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan Determine Operating Mode for Toktogul Reservoir

Following a meeting in Tashkent to coordinate the region's water and energy balance, ministers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan determined a preliminary operating mode for Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul reservoir for the autumn-winter period. Kyrgyzstan’s largest Toktogul hydroelectric power plant (HPP) reservoir on the Naryn River releases water downstream to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan providing essential irrigation for fields in Kazakhstan's dry southern regions. In winter, the plant which produces around 40% of Kyrgyzstan’s electricity, releases more water to generate electricity to meet the country’s power shortages. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are now interested in helping Kyrgyzstan maintain a sufficient volume of water in the Toktogul reservoir for use during the 2025 irrigation season; a goal which could be achieved by exporting Kazakh and Uzbek electricity to Kyrgyzstan during the winter months. Commenting on the proposal, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, stated: "An important area of cooperation for our countries is the water and energy sector. This year has become a vivid example of deepening such regional cooperation. We [Kazakhstan] have met our water needs thanks to the joint measures. For a downstream country, this is extremely important. First, it is used to fill the North Aral Sea. We will continue to adhere to the agreements reached for the autumn-winter period to provide farmers with irrigation water next year." The Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation announced on October 14 that the irrigation season had ended in all regions of the country and during the growing season, from April 1, the Ministry supplied Kazakhstan's farmers with about 11.2 billion cubic meters of water. Nurzhigitov also drew attention to the vital role of water diplomacy in preventing a shortage of irrigation water this year, with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan sending more water to Kazakhstan than planned. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia the Toktogul reservoir accumulated more water this year than last.