Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 24 February 2021, an opening ceremony of the II Asian International Water Week was held on the theme "Water cooperation in Asia in the period after COVID-19" was held.

At the ceremony held in the videoconference format, at the invitation of the President of the Asian Water Council, the First Deputy Minister of Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the Board of Uzsuvtaminot JSC Sohib Saifnazarov spoke.

At the beginning of his speech, S. Saifnazarov expressed gratitude to the organizers of the II Asian International Week, the Asian Water Council and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing of Indonesia.

It was noted that in Uzbekistan, under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, important measures are being taken to further expand reforms aimed at modernizing the water supply system in the country, preserving and improving natural and climatic conditions. Relevant regulatory legal acts have been adopted to further develop the water sector and integrated water resources management in the post-COVID-19 post-pandemic period.

In particular, targeted reforms have begun to introduce smart technological solutions (SCADA, DMA, smart meters and others), digitize the industry and introduce modern information technologies, improve and replace equipment with energy-saving ones, and increase social awareness of the population on the rational use of water.

At the ceremony, Sohib Saifnazarov listed the problems facing the global community in the field of water and water supply, made a number of his proposals for their elimination. It was said about the need to establish the protection of transboundary and national water sources from the location of water-intensive and environmentally harmful industries.

"Lack of cooperation, and in some cases, long-term disputes between individual coastal states do not allow optimal use of international watercourses in the interests of all basin states," said the chairman of the board of Uzsuvtaminoti.

It was noted that in order to ensure the stable supply of clean and affordable water to consumers using digital technologies, it is necessary to widely develop an automated control system at all stages of water supply.

Another important aspect is reducing the costs of water use in agriculture and industry. Taking into account the fact that the share of water consumption by the population is significantly small, and the main volume of water resources consumption falls on agriculture and industry, it is necessary to introduce strict government regulation of rational and effective management of water resources in agriculture and industry. At this stage, it is necessary to introduce smart technological solutions for monitoring and control of water resources.

Among other things, proposals were put forward for the regular exchange of experience and scientific and technological achievements in order to expand partnerships between developing and developed countries in the field of water supply, and to apply the experience gained in practice.