Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan’s Dargom and Shokhrud canals were recognised as World Heritage Irrigation Structures in 2026 and added to the relevant register of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), the Agency for the Operation of Water Management Facilities reported.
The decision was announced during the 26th ICID International Congress and the 77th meeting of the International Executive Council, held in Marseille, France, from 12 to 17 October.
On 14 October, ICID President Marco Arcieri and Secretary General Rakesh Gupta presented certificates and commemorative plaques to representatives of Uzbekistan’s basin irrigation system administrations.
World Heritage Irrigation Structure status is awarded to historical irrigation and drainage facilities with engineering, economic and cultural significance. The Dargom and Shokhrud canals remain in use as part of Uzbekistan’s water management system.
The Dargom Canal is considered one of the oldest functioning irrigation systems in Central Asia. Its construction dates back to the fifth to fourth centuries BC.
The canal is approximately 102 km long. It supplies water to the Samarkand oasis and serves around 178,000 hectares of land in the Samarkand and Kashkadarya regions.
The system includes 146 hydraulic structures and 12 water monitoring stations. The canal has retained its historical route and gravity-fed water supply system.
The Shokhrud Canal is believed to have been built in the third to fourth centuries AD and played an important role in the development of the Bukhara oasis. For centuries, its water has been used to irrigate fields, gardens and vineyards, as well as to meet the needs of craft and residential districts and urban reservoirs.
The canal’s history is closely linked to the historic centre of Bukhara, which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Representatives of water management authorities and national irrigation committees from around 50 countries, along with international organisations, academics and industry experts, are taking part in the ICID congress and meetings.
Key topics include water resource management amid climate change, agricultural sustainability and the introduction of modern irrigation technologies.
In 2025, Uzbekistan’s Do‘stlik and Eski Tuyatortar canals were also recognised as World Heritage Irrigation Structures.
