Photo: Diego Cupolo / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP
Zakir Ishpulatov, Deputy Minister of Water Resources
23/09/2025 09:00
Notable examples include the establishment of the United Nations Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region, the adoption of the special resolution proclaiming the Aral Sea region as a Zone of Ecological Innovations and Technologies, as well as the resolution entitled “Central Asia Facing Global Climate Challenges: Strengthening Regional Solidarity for Sustainable Development and Prosperity.”
In his address at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 19 September 2023, the President of Uzbekistan emphasized that our planet is facing three escalating crises — climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution — and noted that Central Asia is becoming one of the most vulnerable regions in the face of climate change.
The Uzbek side presented information on the measures being taken to mitigate the consequences of the Aral Sea tragedy, as well as on the negative impacts of climate change in the region and the ongoing trend of declining water availability.
Proceeding from this situation, support was expressed for the establishment of the position of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Water Resources, the creation of a Central Asia Water-Saving Technologies Platform, as well as the promotion of systematic cooperation within the framework of the Green Development Program adopted in our region.
Uzbekistan is a member of such international organizations as the Islamic Network on Development and Management of Water Resources under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, the World Water Council, and the International Commission on Large Dams, and actively participates in their international activities.
The delegation of Uzbekistan participated in the 4th World Irrigation Forum and the 76th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, held on 7–10 September this year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On the sidelines of the forum, the delegation held productive meetings and exchanges with representatives of various organizations. In particular, during the talks with Mr. Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Secretary-General of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, the parties discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Commission, engage national experts in international working groups, and mobilize international support for projects aimed at modernizing water management infrastructure.
Uzbekistan is consistently advancing its cooperation with Central Asian countries on water-related issues at multiple levels: multilaterally — within the framework of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination — as well as bilaterally, through intergovernmental working groups on water use.
As a result of the wise policies and consistent efforts of the Head of State, Uzbekistan has established friendly and trustworthy relations with neighboring countries, creating a solid foundation for cooperative use of transboundary water resources in Central Asia.
Through strengthened cooperation and achieved agreements with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, tangible progress is being made in improving water supply levels in the Syrdarya and Amudarya river basins.
On 14 August of this year, the 90th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination was held in Astana, Kazakhstan. The delegations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan attended the meeting, where it was emphasized that the large-scale introduction of water-saving innovative technologies in the region is becoming an increasingly pressing priority.
It was underlined that there is a need to convene a seminar on the modernization of irrigation systems, to promote the exchange of best practices in the effective management of transboundary water resources, and to implement joint initiatives aimed at the large-scale introduction of water-saving technologies. The discussions also addressed the rational and efficient use of the region’s water resources, as well as the implementation of the tasks arising from the summits of the Heads of State of the founding countries of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.
The initiatives of the President of Uzbekistan were also highlighted, in particular the adoption, in August of this year, of the new Water Code and the Program on Water Resources Management and Development of the Irrigation Sector for 2025–2028.
The Water Code provides for the development of interstate relations in the management and use of transboundary water resources, as well as active participation in the activities of international organizations in the field of water management. A dedicated chapter is devoted to interstate water relations, setting out the fundamental principles, key directions, and mechanisms of international cooperation in the sphere of water use.
In essence, the constructive initiatives put forward by the President of Uzbekistan within the framework of the United Nations and other international fora create opportunities not only for our country and the region, but also for the entire world community, to address global environmental challenges, strengthen ecological security and sustainability, prevent water scarcity, and enhance resilience to climate change.