Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan signed a protocol on the forecast operating mode of a cascade of reservoirs in the Syrdarya and Amu Darya river basins, and also approved water intake limits for the non-growing season 2023-2024. This became known at the 85th meeting of the Interstate Coordination Water Commission (ICWC), reports the press service of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Thus, by April 1, 2024, it is predicted that 11.1 cubic kilometers of water will flow into the Shardara reservoir, and the expected water intake through the Dostyk interstate canal will be 487 million cubic meters. This will allow accumulating the necessary volume of water for the growing season of 2024 in the Turkestan and Kyzylorda regions of Kazakhstan, as well as supplying 1.6 billion cubic meters of water to the Aral Sea.
In addition, ICWC members instructed the Syrdarya BWO to monitor the operation of the cascade of reservoirs in the Syrdarya River basin and, in case of deviations from the forecast, to immediately inform Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
“The meeting of the Interstate Coordination Water Commission was fruitful. We managed to quickly resolve issues that were very important for the entire region. For example, agree on the volumes of water intake from the Syrdarya and Amudarya rivers. Only through joint efforts will we be able to ensure the reasonable use and saving of water resources in Central Asia,” noted the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
