Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Agree on Installation of Automated Hydroposts on the Syrdarya and Continuation of Interstate Canal Repairs

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In Turkestan, Kazakhstan, the 13th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Proposals to Deepen Bilateral Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the Water Sector, as well as the 2nd meeting of the Kazakh-Uzbek Working Group on Coordinating Efforts to Develop a Sustainable and Mutually Beneficial Water-Energy Mechanism in Central Asia, were held.

The meetings were attended by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Water Management, Shavkat Khamraev, and the Akim of Turkestan Region, Nuralkhan Kosherov.

The parties discussed key issues of bilateral cooperation in water and water-energy sectors, with particular attention to the progress of cleaning and repair works on the interstate Dostyk Canal.

Last year, Kazakhstan carried out mechanized cleaning of the canal bed, slopes, collectors, and headworks, as well as routine maintenance of the gates on head and dividing hydraulic structures. In 2026, cleaning and repair work on the Dostyk Canal is planned to continue.

In addition, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan agreed to intensify the exchange of experience in the implementation and use of water-saving technologies.

Under the agreements, both countries plan to launch a project to install ten automated hydroposts on the Syrdarya River—five in each country. The project, supported by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), aims to enhance transparency and accuracy in the allocation of transboundary water resources. To date, GIZ has completed the development of the technical specifications for the project.

During the meeting, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, recalled that last year, in the presence of the presidents of both countries, an intergovernmental agreement on the joint management and rational use of transboundary water facilities was signed.

He noted that the document is the culmination of years of work and holds historical significance, as it formalizes agreed approaches to water resource management and makes a substantial contribution to the development of water diplomacy in Central Asia.

The minister also highlighted initiatives by Kazakhstan’s President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on the creation of an International Water Organization under the UN and the development of a Central Asia Framework Convention on Water Use, emphasizing their importance for establishing a long-term and sustainable system of regional water cooperation.