Water scarcity: Can Uzbekistan create an effective water management system?

The draft Concept of Developing Water Management of Uzbekistan in 2020-2030 has been published for public discussion. The document is posted in the Uzbek language. This is a very important document aimed at solving the accumulated problems in the water sector.

Water is the most important resource. It is necessary for the life of the population, the functioning of the economy, especially agriculture, as well as to maintain the ecological balance.

The main challenges for the country’s agriculture sector today and in the long term are a reduction in water resources due to climate change, as well as an increase in water demand due to the growth of the population and economy. In other words, the supply of water will be reduced, and the demand for it will grow.

The situation with water shortages is aggravated by the fact that Uzbekistan is highly dependent on water supplies from neighboring countries (80% of the water consumed comes from outside the country).

The growing scarcity of water resources is exacerbated by the extremely inefficient use of water for its supply and consumption, especially in agriculture. This problem has both institutional and technological reasons.

The main institutional reason for the inefficient use of water resources is the lack of effective incentives for water saving among water consumers (primarily agricultural producers and the public), people and organizations responsible for water infrastructure. The main expenses for the supply of water for agricultural producers are covered from the state budget. Payments by agricultural producers for water supply services do not have a direct link to the volume of its consumption. Their size is insufficient to stimulate productive and economical water consumption.

This year, as we know, a large-scale agrarian reform is beginning, which provides for, among other things, phasing out the mandatory state order for cotton and grain production. Accordingly, conditions, prerequisites and the need for the implementation of water sector reform are created.

Technological problems in the use of water resources are associated primarily with outdated and worn-out infrastructure. The deterioration of irrigation systems and hydraulic structures that have been in operation for decades, the high energy intensity and low productivity of technological equipment and structures lead to significant water losses and high costs of its delivery to consumers. 66% of trunk and inter-farm and 21% of local canals of the country do not have anti-filtration coatings, that is, they pass in the earthen canal. 44% of trunk and inter-farm and 42% of local canals require repairs and restoration, and 16% of trunk and inter-farm and 10% of local canals require reconstruction. The technical condition of 70% of the tray networks is assessed as unsatisfactory. As a result, water losses in irrigation networks account for 35-40%.