The favorable weather has led to the fullness of the two main rivers in Central Asia - the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya.
"Due to precipitation this year, a good level of water is expected in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. Currently, the water levels are anticipated to match those of last year. It is projected that the Syr Darya will have 85-90% of its usual water volume, while the Amu Darya will have 90-95%," said Shavkat Hamroyev, the Minister of Water Resources of Uzbekistan, Avesta reports.
According to him, during the 86th meeting of the Interstate Coordination Water Commission (ICWC) on April 12 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, the countries of the region agreed on water limits.
According to the approved water abstraction limit for the 2024 growing season in the Syr Darya basin, the countries will receive water for irrigation as follows:
- Tajikistan - 1 billion 905 million cubic meters
- Kazakhstan - 922 million cubic meters
- Kyrgyzstan - 270 million cubic meters
- Uzbekistan - 8 billion 800 million cubic meters of water
The total water abstraction from the Syr Darya basin will be 11 billion 897 million cubic meters.
For the growing season (from April 1 to October 1, 2024), water abstraction from the Amu Darya will amount to 39 billion 702 million cubic meters.
Of these, the countries will receive water for irrigation as follows:
- Tajikistan - 6 billion 982 million cubic meters
- Uzbekistan - 17 billion 220 million cubic meters
- Turkmenistan - 15 billion 500 million cubic meters of water
Water supply to the river delta and the Aral Sea during the growing season will amount to 2 billion 100 million cubic meters.
Therefore, according to experts, the upcoming agricultural season should proceed without major issues.
Representatives of Central Asian countries usually gather twice a year - in spring and autumn - within the framework of the Interstate Coordination Water Commission to approve water abstraction limits from the basins of the region's two largest rivers.
In 2023, the total water abstraction limit from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins was approved at 51 billion 572.6 million cubic meters for irrigation. Of these, the water abstraction volume from the Amu Darya was to be 39 billion 677.6 million cubic meters, and from the Syr Darya - 11 billion 895 million cubic meters.
However, in 2023, the countries of Central Asia actually used 42 billion 997.1 million cubic meters, or 83.37% of the limit.
Water abstraction from the Amu Darya amounted to 33.2 billion, and from the Syr Darya - 9.807 billion cubic meters.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
21 мая 2024 года