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The global issue of water scarcity is particularly acute in Central Asia. Additionally, the region’s water resources are dispersed unevenly and utilised differently.
In the winter, hydropower is the primary use of water in the water-rich nations of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which are located on the upper reaches of the large rivers Syr Darya and Amu Darya. The downstream nations of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, on the other hand, mostly use water for irrigating crops in the summer.
Instead of an architecture imposed by any state or agency from outside of Eurasia, the region needs a local water management formula, structure, and architecture. An American programme that was started in 2021 through Tajikistan via USAID hasn’t produced any notable results. There are worries that the water management plan enforced from outside the country may even be implemented in Afghanistan, causing shortages and tensions in the region. Under the leadership of the current President, Uzbekistan has started an efficient water distribution system and effective border management with all of its neighbours.
Last year the Uzbek Senate approved agreements with Kyrgyzstan on border demarcation and jointly managing the Kempir-Abad water reservoir, an issue of contention between the two neighbors. The documents will help to solve longtime issues between the two nations.
The Uzbek parliament’s lower chamber approved the agreements on November 14, while Kyrgyz lawmakers gave them the green light. The Kempir-Abad reservoir, known in Uzbekistan as the Andijon reservoir, was built in 1983. It is located in the fertile Ferghana Valley and represents a vital regional water source.
Last November the president of Uzbekistan signed laws ratifying two key agreements with neighboring Kyrgyzstan on their mutual border and management of water resources in the Andijan (Kempir-Abad) reservoir.
During Soviet times, water and energy exchange between the five Central Asian republics were centrally planned, where water rich upstream countries (Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic or SSR and Kyrgyz SSR) would exchange water with energy rich downstream countries (Turkmen SSR, Uzbek SSR, and Kazakh SSR).
The agreement between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan may serve as a model for the region’s first cross-border water management architecture. The region can also benefit from India’s experience in South Asia with regard to Bangladesh and Nepal. Bangladesh and India share more than 50 rivers. Effective communication over rivers that cross borders has also been established between India and Nepal. India has solid relations with all the countries in Central Asia, and its assistance might be used to set up a framework for transnational water management.
(This story has not been edited by Bharat Express staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
