ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 7. Kazakhstan will receive about 3.7 bcm of water from the Syr Darya River in the 2025 irrigation season, following an agreement reached by Kazakhstan's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, during talks with officials from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, Trend reports.
The 89th session of the Interstate Coordination Water Management Commission of Central Asia was held in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand.
In the course of the meeting, it was announced that Kazakhstan will receive 909 million cubic meters of water through the "Dostyk" interstate canal during the irrigation period. Additionally, 975 million cubic meters of water are planned to be directed to the North Aral Sea.
"Currently, our efforts are focused on channeling floodwater into lakes and rivers, and storing it in reservoirs. However, when it comes to the southern regions, water diplomacy plays a key role. We need to prepare in the summer, or for this year's irrigation season, we have been negotiating since last year. The water coming to Kazakhstan through the Syr Darya will be collected in the Shardara Reservoir and used to meet the irrigation needs of southern farmers. Last year, through efficient water distribution, the adoption of water-saving technologies, and timely negotiations with neighboring countries, we managed to fulfill the irrigation requirements of farming households. We intend to achieve the same results this year," said Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
Uzbekistan delivered 12.6 bcm of water to Kazakhstan from October last year through April 1 this year, 1.7 bcm more than initially planned.