Central Asian countries agree on water use and reservoir regimes for 2026

According to the decision of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia, announced following its 91st meeting held in Ashgabat on 13 November 2025, Uzbekistan will receive 22 billion cubic meters of water from the Amu Darya and 3.3 billion cubic meters from the Syr Darya in 2026.

During the meeting, the countries reached agreement on water use during the non-vegetation period of 2025–2026.

For the Amu Darya, the total water withdrawal limit for October 2025 to October 2026 was set at nearly 55.4 billion cubic meters. Of this, 15.9 billion cubic meters will be allocated for the cold season – from October to April.

Tajikistan will receive 9.8 billion cubic meters annually, while Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will each receive 22 billion cubic meters. The largest share of the flow, 44 billion cubic meters, must reach the Kerki hydropost in Turkmenistan, which supplies the river’s lower reaches.

A separate volume of 4.2 billion cubic meters has been allocated for the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya delta, half of which will be delivered in winter and early spring. An additional 800 million cubic meters has been reserved as sanitary–ecological releases for irrigation systems in Dashoguz Region, Khorezm Region, and Karakalpakstan. These volumes are critical for supporting the population of the Aral Sea area, which faces severe water scarcity, and for preserving reservoir ecosystems.

For the Syr Darya, the total water withdrawal limit during the vegetation period is set at 4.219 billion cubic meters. Kazakhstan will receive 460 million cubic meters through the Dostlik canal, Kyrgyzstan, 47 million, and Tajikistan, 365 million cubic meters. The largest share belongs to Uzbekistan with 3.347 billion cubic meters.

These allocations were determined by taking into account expected river flow, reservoir storage levels, and the need to maintain ecological flow in the riverbed.

What about the reservoirs?

The commission also approved operating regimes for the region’s major reservoirs. Forecasts show that Tajikistan’s Nurek reservoir will enter the non-vegetation period with around 10.5 billion cubic meters of water and end it with around 9.7 billion cubic meters.

The Tuyamuyun reservoir, located on the border of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, will begin the season with approximately 4.5 billion cubic meters and reduce to 3.4 billion cubic meters by spring. Both hydrotechnical facilities will gradually release water downstream to support irrigation in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and to maintain flow in the Amu Darya.

In the Syr Darya basin, total water reserves in Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul, Uzbekistan’s Andijan, and Uzbekistan’s Charvak reservoirs will amount to around 10.6 billion cubic meters at the start of the vegetation period – slightly below the norm.

Tajikistan’s Bahri Tojik and Kazakhstan’s Chardara reservoirs are expected to hold around 2.6 billion and 1.65 billion cubic meters respectively.

Overall, reservoirs in the Syr Darya basin are projected to contain nearly 14.9 billion cubic meters of water at the start of winter – roughly 90 percent of the long-term average.

The commission’s next meeting, its 92nd session, will take place in Dushanbe, where member states will review reservoir operations and water use results for the 2025–2026 vegetation period and determine steps to ensure regional water security amid worsening climate challenges.