Central Asian Countries Discuss Water Resource Management for the Amu Darya and Syr Darya
Avaza, October 7 | ORIENT. A high-level meeting of Central Asian countries took place here today, focusing on the sustainable use of water resources from the region’s major transboundary rivers—the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya.
The event was attended by heads of relevant ministries and leading water management experts from neighboring states. The primary goal of this multilateral dialogue was to coordinate joint efforts and strengthen interstate cooperation regarding responsible water use—a key factor today for sustainable development, as well as food and environmental security, in the region.
Amidst global climate change, melting glaciers, and continuous population growth, pooling resources and capabilities has taken on strategic importance. Participants emphasized the need for strict adherence to interstate agreements regarding these river basins to ensure a stable water supply for agriculture without harming fragile ecosystems.
The discussion covered a wide range of topics, including the modernization of water management infrastructure, the lining of main canal beds to reduce water loss, the digitalization of river flow monitoring, and the widespread adoption of innovative systems such as drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation. Particular emphasis was placed on striking a comprehensive balance between the interests of the hydropower sector in the upper reaches and irrigated agriculture in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers.
Furthermore, experts discussed modernizing the structures of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination. They also highly commended Turkmenistan’s initiative to establish a Regional Center for Climate Change-Related Technologies in Central Asia, which will create a unified scientific and technological foundation for minimizing climate-related risks.
…Commenting on the outcomes of the ministerial meeting, it is worth noting that the strict wording of water management regulations masks one of the most complex and sensitive geopolitical challenges facing the Eurasian region. The forum held in Avaza clearly demonstrated that the water diplomacy consistently championed by Ashgabat has definitively evolved from an environmental declaration into a practical necessity.
The pragmatism of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy lies in the understanding that, without guaranteed water security, no transit corridor—including the Middle Corridor—can secure long-term economic agency for the macro-region. For downstream states, primarily Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the stability of the Amu Darya’s flow is a matter of vital importance for both the agricultural sector and social stability.
In this context, the expert community is drawing attention to a key underlying strategic risk factor—one traditionally omitted from official accounts yet invisibly present during the talks in Avaza: the Afghan dimension.
Kabul’s large-scale construction of the giant Qosh Tepa Canal in northern Afghanistan threatens the uncontrolled and irreversible withdrawal of massive volumes of water from the Amu Darya, a move that could critically exacerbate water scarcity in the river's downstream reaches.
By organizing a high-level meeting ahead of the leaders' summit, Ashgabat effectively acted as the architect of a unified, consolidated diplomatic approach for the "Central Asian Five." The rationale behind this tactic is clear: the region's nations aim to preempt the crisis and formulate a common position—grounded in science and economic prudence—to pragmatically bring Kabul into the framework of international law and encourage its water management agencies to operate according to transparent, universally accepted rules governing transboundary water use.
Bekdurdy AMANSARYEV, expert at the Center for Strategic Studies of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan
