Uzbekistan targets water efficiency and irrigation upgrades by 2030

In the Uzbekistan – 2030 strategy draft, improving the sustainability of water supply in agriculture and reducing water losses are identified as key objectives. To achieve this, plans include the phased lining of main and inter-farm canals with concrete, improving the reclamation condition of irrigated lands, reducing areas with high groundwater levels, and expanding private sector involvement in sector management.

The project’s main target indicators include:

• increasing the length of main and inter-farm canals with concrete lining to 13,100 kilometers, or 46 percent, out of a total length of 18,700 kilometers, 66 percent of which currently have earthen beds;
• reducing saline areas on irrigated lands to 1.7 million hectares through the construction and reconstruction of reclamation facilities;
• cutting areas with problematic groundwater levels to 773,400 hectares.

In addition, the draft identifies the development of irrigation systems and water-saving technologies as a separate priority, alongside greater private sector involvement in management and the wide application of public-private partnership mechanisms. In particular, it provides for:

• increasing the number of water management facilities transferred to public-private partnership management to 2,012;
• expanding the capacity of the Tuyamuyun Reservoir by an additional 1 billion cubic meters, which would improve water supply across 1.2 million hectares and create a reserve of drinking water.

According to the draft, the implementation of these measures is expected to reduce water losses, improve land reclamation conditions, ensure stable agricultural yields, and support the systematic modernization of water supply infrastructure.