Uzbekistan’s Proactive, Pragmatic, and Good-Neighborly Approach to Transboundary Water Cooperation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 22 April, Astana will host the очередной summit of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), one of the region’s most authoritative organizations.

The upcoming meeting of the heads of founding states is of particular significance as it marks the transition of the Fund’s chairmanship to Uzbekistan for 2027–2029. For the country, this will be its third mandate, following previous leadership periods in 1997–1999 and 2013–2016.

It is worth recalling that Tashkent was among the initiators of IFAS, but its return to this role after a decade comes under fundamentally new conditions. Today, Uzbekistan possesses not only substantial experience but also a solid portfolio of implemented initiatives that have gained international recognition.

Transforming Uzbekistan’s Water Sector for Sustainable Development

In response to growing climate challenges, compounded by rapid economic growth, demographic pressure, and urbanization, Uzbekistan has embarked on comprehensive reforms of its water management system, elevating it to a key state policy priority.

The complexity of the situation is подтверждается by objective data. Over the past 15 years, per capita water availability in the country has more than halved—from 3,000 to 1,400 cubic meters per year. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, the annual volume of water resources used has declined to 51–53 billion cubic meters, which is 21% lower than in 1991.

A major challenge remains the high dependence on external sources, as around 80% of surface water (41 billion cubic meters) is formed outside the country. While water shortages did not exceed 3 billion cubic meters before 2015, experts forecast that the deficit could reach 7 billion cubic meters by 2030 and 15 billion cubic meters by 2050.

Recognizing the scale of these risks, Uzbekistan, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is implementing large-scale technological modernization of the water sector.

In less than a decade, the area of land using water-saving technologies has increased from 28,000 hectares to more than 2.6 million hectares, covering over 60% of irrigated land.

At the same time, large-scale work is underway across the country to concrete irrigation canals and reconstruct drainage systems. By 2030, these measures are expected to save up to 15 billion cubic meters of water annually.

The sector is also undergoing digital transformation. Currently, 11 information platforms are being introduced for maintaining water cadastre records, monitoring pumping stations, and tracking land reclamation conditions.

Over the past four years, management of 100 major water facilities has been automated, a “Smart Water” system has been deployed at 13,000 water intake points, and more than 1,700 pumping stations have been equipped with online monitoring devices.

At the same time, the economic model is adapting. According to the Center for Economic Research and Reforms, agriculture’s share in GDP declined from 32% in 2017 to 19% in 2024, while agricultural output increased by 17%, indicating more efficient resource use.

Regional Synergy and Water Diplomacy

Uzbekistan has also achieved significant progress in external water cooperation. Most initiatives proposed by Tashkent within IFAS have been implemented through coordinated regional efforts and strong support from international partners. A key focus has been the environmental rehabilitation of the Aral Sea region.

On the dried seabed and in the Amu Darya delta, a network of local water bodies has been created, including the Sudoche, Khojakul-Karajar, Maipost-Domalak lake systems, the Interfluve reservoir, as well as the Muynak, Rybachiy, and Zhyltyrbas bays.

Large-scale afforestation efforts are also underway, with green cover now reaching about 2 million hectares. An additional 400,000 hectares of protective plantations are planned over the next two years.

The expansion of protected natural areas to 4.6 million hectares in the Aral Sea region has helped reduce the spread of toxic dust while creating conditions for the revival of local ecosystems.

These efforts gained international recognition in 2019 at a conference in Nukus, where the Aral Sea region’s status as a Zone of Environmental Innovation and Technology was discussed. The initiative, first proposed by President Mirziyoyev at the 72nd UN General Assembly session in 2017 and at the IFAS summit in 2018, was endorsed globally in 2021 through a UN General Assembly resolution.

An important complement to these initiatives was the launch in 2018 of the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea region under the UN.

Created at Uzbekistan’s initiative, the fund serves as an effective mechanism for mobilizing donor resources and coordinating international efforts to address the region’s socio-economic and environmental challenges.

Alongside financial and humanitarian tools, Uzbekistan continues to view IFAS as a key platform for regional water and environmental cooperation, playing a unique role in ensuring stability in Central Asia.

The country has also made significant progress in diplomacy by advancing multilateral cooperation formats. Its proactive approach and commitment to good-neighborly relations have enabled constructive dialogue on the joint management of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers.

Examples include agreements between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan on the operation of the Bahri Tojik reservoir, as well as arrangements involving Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan on the Toktogul reservoir and the Kambarata-1 hydropower project.

Given the growing water deficit, a shift toward long-term planning is seen as a logical next step. In this context, Uzbekistan’s President proposed declaring 2026–2036 the Decade of Practical Actions for Rational Water Use in Central Asia during the Seventh Consultative Meeting of regional leaders.

Recognizing that effective management requires skilled personnel, Tashkent also plans to establish a Regional Competence Center in water management at the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers.

Another key direction is engagement with Afghanistan. Uzbekistan advocates for gradually integrating Kabul into regional water cooperation based on a balance of interests.

Practical steps proposed include joint monitoring of transboundary rivers, real-time exchange of hydrometeorological data, and the creation of permanent expert platforms to support equitable and efficient water use.

Overall, comprehensive domestic reforms combined with proactive foreign policy have created a strong foundation for Uzbekistan’s upcoming chairmanship of IFAS. During its 2027–2029 mandate, the country intends to focus on modernizing the Fund’s legal and institutional framework.

Efforts will also continue to improve socio-economic conditions, strengthen environmental protection, and enhance water security across the region.

Uzbekistan will additionally work to raise IFAS’s international profile, aiming to transform water and environmental cooperation into a driver of sustainable development and long-term stability in Central Asia.

Lobar Umarova Chief Research Fellow, Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan