Water-related problems of Central Asian countries in the transboundary basin of the Syrdarya river

Abstract

The article deals with the problems of sharing water, water resources management, protection of water resources in transboundary river basins. Discussed are the contradictions of the Central Asian countries in their approaches to solving water problems, depending on the geographical features of their location and the geopolitical situation in the region. On the example of the transboundary river Syrdarya, an analysis of the signed intergovernmental agreements and the mechanism of water allocation, an analysis of the fulfillment of interstate obligations on water allocation was carried out.

It is shown that for the period from 1992 to 2019 the actual inflow into the territory of Kazakhstan along the Syrdarya river has always been above the established limit in annual terms, however, during the growing season, when water is needed for irrigation of crops, the share of water inflow was only a third of the annual volume, which does not meet the criterion of fair water allocation. Water supply through interstate canal over the same period was consistently below the agreed limit, i.e. water distribution provisions are not respected. At the same time, the incoming runoff has a high degree of mineralization, because in the middle reaches, on the territory of Uzbekistan, large volumes of collector-drainage waters are discharged into the channel of the Syrdarya River.

Some recommendations are given for solving the problems of the water and energy com