More than 60 percent of water resources of Central Asia are formed in Tajikistan but they mostly used by downstream countries of the region (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan).
Tajikistan hopes that compensation of these water resources used by neighboring countries will be resumed.
“During the Soviet period, we were receiving gas, gasoline and other fuels in exchange for water,” Tajik Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Jamshed Shoimzoda, noted during the latest sitting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament.
“Unfortunately, such a mechanism does not currently exist,” the deputy minister noted.
He further expressed hope that “with improvement of cooperation with neighbors there will be progress in this direction.”
Up to 60 percent of water resources of Central Asia are formed in Tajikistan.
According to data from the Ministry of Energy and Resources of Tajikistan, on average 64 billion cubic meters of water are formed in the territory of Tajikistan annually. Tajikistan actually uses only up to 17 percent of this amount.
Meanwhile, the norm of Tajikistan was set by the Central Asian Interstate Commission for Water Coordination last year at 12.7 billion cubic meters.
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the upstream countries, possess more water than they need for domestic use and consume more power than they can produce themselves. In contrast, the downstream nations of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have energy resources, but lack sufficient water supplies. These complementary conditions should promote mutually beneficial arrangements that foster regional growth and the rational use of natural resources.
