Rustam Karshiev,
Deputy Minister of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan
In today’s era of global change, the value and significance of this resource are continuously growing. Recognizing the urgent need for effective measures, given that water scarcity could seriously impact socio-economic stability in Central Asia, Uzbekistan, under the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is focusing on the comprehensive development of water management and the rational use of water resources. This includes the extensive implementation of digital and water-saving irrigation technologies, which is already yielding positive results.
The Concept for the Development of Water Management in Uzbekistan for 2020–2030 has been approved, and specific strategies have been adopted and are being implemented within set time frames. The third direction of the Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy, which outlines 100 critical goals across five priority areas, is dedicated to water resource conservation and environmental protection.
Ninety percent of Uzbekistan’s water resources are used for agriculture. The country has one of the most advanced irrigation systems and a large water management infrastructure in the region, covering 4.3 million hectares of irrigated land. In Uzbekistan, furrow irrigation, which consumes a significant amount of water, is predominantly used. To address this, a decision was made to transition to water-saving technologies. Under President Mirziyoyev’s initiative, a state support system for the introduction of water-saving technologies was launched in 2019. As a result, drip irrigation is now in use on 558.2 thousand hectares, sprinkler irrigation on 88.3 thousand hectares, and discrete irrigation on 59.2 thousand hectares. Laser leveling with specialized equipment has been conducted on 1.3 million hectares.
Looking back five years, equipment for water-saving technologies and its components were imported. In a short period, a local production base was established, and the number of enterprises increased from three to fifty. Next year, water-saving technologies will be implemented on another 500 thousand hectares, and in the coming years, irrigated lands will be fully covered by these technologies.
At the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, 2024 was declared the “Year of Reducing Water Loss in Irrigation Networks.” Significant funding from the state budget has been allocated for the reconstruction of 1,500 km of main canals, with reputable companies from the People’s Republic of China engaged in these works. In addition, clusters and farms have concreted 13,500 km of internal irrigation channels, and these efforts will be continued in the coming year.
Currently, over 1,600 pumping stations across Uzbekistan consume 6.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to irrigate 2.5 million hectares of land. In 2017, irrigation of 2 million hectares required 8.3 billion kilowatt-hours. In the water management sector, 2025 has been designated as the “Year of Pump Efficiency Improvement.” Within the framework of public-private partnerships, energy-saving pumps and solar panels are being installed, which will allow for a 20% reduction in energy consumption.
The digitization of the water management sector ensures fair and transparent management of water resources. In recent years, 13,000 “Smart Water” devices have been installed at water management facilities to monitor and account for water in real time, along with 15,000 “Diver” devices to monitor groundwater levels and mineralization in reclamation monitoring wells. Automated control processes have also been introduced at 73 major water management facilities. Additionally, efforts are being made to create resilient varieties of crops, such as cotton and rice, with low water requirements, and to expand areas planted with drought-resistant crops.
Effective water resource management, the introduction of water-saving and digital technologies, cleaning and concreting irrigation channels, laser leveling of land, crop placement based on water resources, and timely agrotechnical activities enable Uzbekistan to save an average of 8 billion cubic meters of water annually.
To foster cooperation between science and production in the water management sector, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and its Central Asian Center for Research in Ecology and Environment. Agreements were also reached with Bialystok University of Technology (Poland) and Belarusian National Technical University to develop a concept for “Developing Research and Innovation Activities at the Institute of Scientific Research and Irrigation Problems.”
Friendly and trustful relations between the leaders of Central Asian countries have created a solid foundation for the shared use of transboundary water resources in our region. Many issues that remained unresolved for years have now been addressed, leading to positive outcomes in improving water supply in the Syrdarya and Amudarya basins.
Currently, Uzbekistan is advancing cooperation with neighboring countries on water issues within the frameworks of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), the Interstate Coordinating Water Commission (ICWC), and bilateral working groups. This approach enables ministries and local organizations to address many water management issues with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan on a mutually beneficial basis.
The country is implementing international projects such as NEXUS Gains and Hydro 4U and has established close cooperation with the Central Asia office of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The NEXUS model—integrating water, energy, food, and ecosystems (WEFE)—represents a positive approach to water management in Central Asia, and Uzbekistan is successfully adopting this model. Innovative irrigation systems and water-saving technologies in the country are helping address energy and environmental challenges, while effective irrigation methods contribute to overall productivity and sustainability.
Uzbekistan is strengthening regional cooperation through integrated water resources management (IWRM) initiatives and actively participating in such vital platforms as the ICWC and IFAS. Great emphasis is placed on ensuring sustainable and inclusive water management by engaging local communities.
The development of the sector depends on qualified personnel. Each year, more than 500 specialists with higher education join the water sector organizations, and in 2024, over 1,700 managers and specialists upgraded their qualifications. In 2023, the “Water Specialist School” was established. Modern classrooms and demonstration sites equipped with advanced water-saving technologies have been set up in each region of the republic, where more than 70,000 heads of farms and water sector employees have undergone short-term training.
Water is a great asset, and the profession of a water specialist is a noble one. Recognizing this, Uzbekistan’s water specialists work together, contributing their efforts to the development of a new Uzbekistan.