Uzbekistan to direct US$1bn to modernize irrigation system in 5 years

This was announced at the event dedicated to World Water Day, which was held in Tashkent, Turkiston-Press reported.

It was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management of Uzbekistan in cooperation with UN Development Programme in Uzbekistan and Tashkent institute of irrigation and drainage.

MPs from Ecologic Movement of Uzbekistan, representatives of public and teachers and students of the Uzbek institute participated in the event.

At the event, the participants considered issues of further developing legislation to strengthen legal bases for water use, integrated management of water resources. The participants also discussed partnership of NGOs, scientific-research institutes and educational establishments in water protection.

World Water Day has been observed on 22 March since 1993 when the United Nations General Assembly declared 22 March as “World Day for Water”. On this day, attention of international community is attracted to problems related to rational use of water.

It was underlined that Uzbekistan pays great attention to effective use and protection of water resources. Uzbekistan adopted a law “On water and water use” in 1993 and regulation “On water use and water consumption” and “On special permission for water use and consumption” in 2013. Currently, the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan is considering a draft of Water Code.

Uzbekistan also implements several wide-scale projects on modern technologies and methods of rational water use. One of such projects is e ‘Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Water Efficiency Plan of the Zarafshan River Basin’ of Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management and the UN Development Programme.

Head of the project Iskandar Qalandarov said that Uzbekistan will allocate over US$1 billion from the state budget to maintain and modernize irrigation-drainage system in next five years.

At the event, the sides considered practical recommendations on sustainable water use in agriculture, industry and consumption by population in context of climate change.