Uzbekistan supplies Kazakhstan with 12.6 billion cubic meters of water in six months

Over the past six months, Uzbekistan has supplied Kazakhstan with 12.6 billion cubic meters of water. This is 1.7 billion cubic meters more than planned. This was stated by Nurzhan Nurjigitov, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan, at the third plenary session of the International Climate Forum in Samarkand today, April 5.

“This water is used to provide farmers in the southern regions with water during the irrigation period. Water diplomacy and international cooperation are among the main directions of our ministry’s activities. The allocation and management of transboundary waters, the exchange of experience, and the joint introduction of advanced technologies play an important role in ensuring water security throughout Central Asia,” the minister said.

The minister also stressed the need to adapt to climate change, introduce new approaches to water resources management, and prevent water shortages by strengthening regional cooperation.

It is reported that about 1.8 billion cubic meters of water was also sent to the North Aral Sea. This is 120 million cubic meters more than forecast. Additionally, 490 million cubic meters of water was supplied to Kazakhstan through the "Dostlik" interstate canal.

For information, the Samarkand International Climate Forum started yesterday, April 4. At the forum, the President of the Council of Europe, Antonio Koshta, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kasim-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadir Japarov, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, the Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Odile Renaud-Basso, the European Economic Commission’s Executive Secretary, Tatyana Molchan, Executive Director of the Population Settlements Program, Anaclaudia Rossbach, Executive Secretary of the Convention to Combat Desertification, Ibrahim Thiaw, and others took part. The forum ends today, April 5.

It should be recalled that earlier, at the 12th meeting of the joint working group on deepening bilateral cooperation in the water sector, Nurzhan Nurjigitov and Uzbek Minister of Water Resources Shavkat Khamroev reached an agreement to send more than 16 billion cubic meters of water to Kazakhstan from October 2024 to October 2025.