Tashkent’s Water Diplomacy: How Uzbekistan Is Addressing Water Scarcity in Central Asia
On April 22, the Summit of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) was held in Astana. The event reinforced Uzbekistan’s status as a regional leader in environmental issues: from 2027 to 2029, the chairmanship of the Fund will pass to official Tashkent. At a time when water scarcity in the region could triple by 2050, Uzbekistan’s strategy is becoming critically important for all of Central Asia.
Domestic reforms: from conservation to digitalization
Uzbekistan has elevated water resource management to a top state priority. The key figures are impressive:
• Technologies: In recent years, the area of land using water-saving irrigation has increased from 28,000 to 2.6 million hectares.
• Digitalization: The “Smart Water” system has been introduced at 13,000 facilities, enabling real-time monitoring of resource consumption.
• Result: By 2030, systemic measures (such as canal concreting and new technologies) will make it possible to save up to 15 billion cubic meters of water annually.
Reviving the Aral Sea region and the “green belt”
The Aral Sea problem is being addressed through practical measures. Around 2 million hectares of forest plantations have already been created on the dried seabed. This not only helps contain toxic dust but also restores local flora. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiative to transform the Aral Sea region into a “Zone of Environmental Innovations” has received official support from the UN.
Regional partnership and dialogue
Uzbekistan is actively promoting the principle of “water diplomacy” by building constructive dialogue with neighboring countries. Within this framework, issues related to the operation of major reservoirs and the construction of new hydropower plants are being addressed jointly with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. An initiative has also been put forward to declare 2026–2036 as the Decade of Rational Water Use.
An important step toward strengthening regional stability is the gradual involvement of Afghanistan in regional cooperation. This approach is aimed at ensuring fair and transparent distribution of the Amudarya’s water resources based on a balance of interests among all parties.
Uzbekistan’s upcoming chairmanship in IFAS will enable the introduction of unified water management standards, helping protect Central Asia from climate risks.
ORIENT
