Kazakhstan may revise water agreement signed with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan

The document regulates the use of Syr Darya resources in the field of irrigation and energy.

By the end of 2023, Kazakhstan plans to change the agreement with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on the use of the resources of the Syr Darya basin. This is reflected in the concept of water resources management for 2023-2029.

The brief description of the document states that this water agreement has been in force since 1998. It regulates the use of Syr Darya resources in the field of irrigation and energy.

According to the current agreement, the surplus of electricity produced at hydroelectric power stations will be transferred to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In return, Kyrgyzstan receives energy resources, finance and commercial services from its neighbors.

Kazakhstan may have decided to change the document because water scarcity is becoming one of the main and growing problems in the region. According to climate scientists, the pressure on water resources will increase 2.8 times by 2040 in some countries of the region. By 2050, the Syr Darya may shrink by 15 percent.

The detailed content of the document is not known yet.