Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev called on the water management agencies of Central Asian countries to ensure the fair distribution of water amid climate challenges. He made this statement in his speech at the anniversary 90th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) held in Kazakhstan.

Bozumbayev stated that the current growing season is taking place under extremely strained conditions, and the projected worsening of the climate and water scarcity in the coming years require coordinated action and strict compliance with the agreements reached by the Central Asian countries.

He noted that the volume of the Shardara Reservoir, located on the Syr Darya River in Kazakhstan’s Turkestan region, has dropped below the long-term average, posing a real threat to water supply in the downstream areas. According to him, the decisions adopted within the ICWC are not being fully implemented, which is causing serious difficulties in regulating water regimes.

“The time calls for greater dynamism: we must not only discuss and plan, but also take concrete measures. I am confident that our partnership will develop in a spirit of trust and mutual understanding, and that our joint efforts will deliver tangible results for our countries and the entire region,” Bozumbayev emphasized.

The meeting discussed the operating regimes of reservoirs in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins during the current agricultural season, as well as measures defined by the heads of the founding states of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS). Central Asian countries need $29.2 billion to develop water and climate infrastructure.