Russia will assist Uzbekistan in calculating its water balance for the long term — from 30 to 50 years. This was announced by the head of the Federal Agency for Water Resources of Russia Dmitry Kirillov in an interview with TASS. The agency’s specialists will be involved in the work on the project, who will help determine the volumes of fresh water available in the republic.

According to Kirillov, the calculations will take into account changes associated with the melting of glaciers. In the short term, the volume of water in the region may increase due to active melting, but in the long term — in 30-50 years — it is important for Uzbekistan to understand what water resources will be at its disposal. He noted that the Uzbek authorities are taking this issue seriously, and experts are already working in the republic to study the situation.

According to the Eurasian Development Bank, as of mid-2024, about 10 million residents of Central Asia did not have access to safe drinking water. Between 1994 and 2020, water consumption in the region doubled. At the same time, investments in water supply systems remain insufficient. In Uzbekistan, for example, the annual funding gap for water infrastructure is about $826 million.

Uzbekistan is one of the leading per capita water consumers in Central Asia, with more than 80% of the country’s water used for agriculture, especially for irrigating cotton fields.

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