Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have agreed to repair the Dostyk canal
Another round of negotiations between representatives of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan was held in Turkestan, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in water use issues. Two significant events were held in the city at once: the XIII meeting of the Joint Working Group on deepening cooperation in the field of water relations and the II meeting of the group working on the development of a sustainable mechanism for water and energy partnership in Central Asia, the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation reports.
The central topic of the agenda was the discussion of the current state and prospects of operation of the interstate water infrastructure. The parties paid special attention to the reconstruction and cleaning of the Dostyk canal, which plays an important role in the water supply of border areas. It was noted that last year Kazakhstani specialists had already carried out a significant amount of work: mechanized cleaning of slopes, collectors and riverbeds was carried out, as well as routine repairs of closures on the head and blocking structures were carried out. The meeting participants confirmed their intention to continue work on the modernization and cleaning of the canal this year.
Digitalization of water distribution processes and the introduction of modern technologies became an important point of negotiations. The parties reached an agreement on the exchange of experience in the field of water conservation. In addition, it is planned to launch a project to install ten automated hydraulic posts in the Syrdarya River basin. According to the plan, five measuring facilities will be located on the territory of Kazakhstan, and five more on the territory of Uzbekistan. This initiative is designed to ensure the accuracy of water resources accounting.
The project on automation of hydraulic posts is being developed with the support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). The main goal of the initiative is to ensure maximum transparency in the distribution of transboundary waters, which will minimize possible disagreements. At the moment, GIZ specialists have already completed the preparation of the terms of reference, which allows us to proceed to the next stages of the project implementation.
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan Nurzhan Nurzhigitov stressed the importance of previously reached agreements. He recalled that last year, in the presence of the leaders of the two countries, an intergovernmental agreement on joint management and rational use of transboundary water bodies was signed. According to the minister, this document was the result of many years of painstaking work and laid the foundation for constructive water diplomacy in the region. The Minister noted that Kazakhstan intends to further develop the partnership on the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect.
Global initiatives aimed at long-term settlement of water issues in the region were also discussed during the meeting. In particular, the Kazakh side focused on the proposals of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to create an International water Organization under the auspices of the UN. The importance of the development of the Central Asian Framework Convention on Water Use, which could become the legal basis for stable cooperation of all countries of the region in the future, was also noted.
Original (in Russian): Казахстан и Узбекистан договорились о ремонте канала «Достык»
