Agriculture in Uzbekistan consumed 39 billion cubic meters of water over the year. Of this, 36%, or 14 billion cubic meters, was lost in earthen channels, the president said. Another 5-6 billion cubic meters are lost due to outdated irrigation methods.
Last year, agriculture in Uzbekistan consumed 39 billion cubic meters of water. Of this, 36%, or more than 14 billion, was lost in canals and ditches with earthen beds. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced this at a meeting on Friday.
The head of state emphasized that the relevance of problems related to water resources is growing every day, reports his press secretary Sherzod Asadov. At the same time, over the past two years, large subsidies have been allocated for the water sector, including for the purpose of introducing water-saving technologies.
Due to the fact that 70% of the land is still irrigated using outdated methods, 5-6 billion cubic meters of water are wasted aimlessly and dumped into sewers, the president noted.
“The head of state expressed deep concern about this state of affairs in the water sector and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the responsible persons in the industry,” said Sherzod Asadov.
The President gave instructions on concreting canals to reduce water losses, replacing pumps with energy-saving ones, and installing automated water meters at water facilities.
In Uzbekistan, more than 90% of fresh water is used in agriculture. This is much higher than the world average.
First Deputy Head of the Ministry of Water Resources Azimjon Nazarov noted that by 2030 the country will lack 7 billion cubic meters of water.
Source https://www.gazeta.uz/ru/2023/10/20/water/
