he 13th meeting of the joint working group to develop proposals for deepening cooperation, as well as the 2nd meeting of the Kazakh-Uzbek joint working group to coordinate efforts to develop a mutually beneficial sustainable mechanism for water and energy cooperation in Central Asia, were held in Turkestan, Kazinform reports, citing the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, the Minister of Water Resources of Uzbekistan Shavkat Khamraev, and the Akim of the Turkestan region Nuralkhan Kosherov.
The parties discussed key issues of bilateral water and energy cooperation, including cleaning and repair work on the interstate Dostyk Canal.
Last year, the Kazakh side carried out mechanized cleaning of sections, slopes, collectors and head structures of the canal.
Additionally, routine repairs were carried out on the gates at the facility’s headworks and barrier structures. Mechanical cleaning of the Dostyk Canal and repairs to the headworks will continue this year.
The parties also agreed to exchange experiences in the implementation and use of water-saving technologies. Furthermore, plans are underway to begin a project to install ten automated gauging stations on the Syr Darya River—five in each country.
The project, developed with support from the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), aims to ensure transparency and accuracy in the allocation of transboundary waters. GIZ has now completed the technical specifications.
“Last year, in the presence of the two heads of state, we signed an intergovernmental agreement on the joint management and rational use of transboundary water bodies. This document is the culmination of many years of work, which made it possible to develop coordinated approaches to transboundary water management, making its signing a historic event. The agreement is a significant contribution to the development of water diplomacy in Central Asia and clearly defines key areas for further mutually beneficial cooperation. We intend to continue developing our bilateral partnership in the spirit of good neighborliness, mutual respect, and constructive dialogue,” noted Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The Minister also outlined President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s initiatives to establish an International Water Organization under the auspices of the UN and develop a Central Asian Framework Convention on Water Management, emphasizing their importance for long-term regional water cooperation.
As previously reported, by implementing water-saving technologies in irrigated agriculture in Kazakhstan, 874 million cubic meters of water will be saved by the end of 2025.
Google machine translated