A brief overview of the academic seminar on "Water management issues in Central Asia and prospects for its resolution"

A brief overview
of the academic seminar on “Water management issues in Central Asia and prospects for its resolution”, held within the third meeting of the Methodological Council of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, February 18, 2022

On February 18, 2022 the Methodological Council of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy arranged the academic seminar on “Water management issues in Central Asia and prospects for its resolution”. At the opening ceremony of the Methodological Council meeting and academic seminar the First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Uzbekistan, Rector of UWED and Head of UWED Methodological Council S.S. Safoyev delivered/gave a welcoming speech.

In the main part of the event key speakers: the First Deputy Minister of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan A.S. Nazarov, the Head of the IFAS Agency for the Management of Project Implementation in Uzbekistan V.I. Sokolov,  and Acting director of Scientific-Information Center of ICWC D.R. Ziganshina shared their views on the announced issue with the University leaders, professors, PhD students and researchers.

In his speech, Azimjon Nazarov pointed out the current development, challenges and prospects for water distribution in Central Asia. The speaker outlined the issues of water supply in the sectors of the economy of Uzbekistan and identified the challenges to the country`s water management system in terms of climate change, population growth, urbanization and economic development. The constructive policy of Uzbekistan, which consistently advocates the consideration and resolution of all issues related to the use of trans-boundary basins/rivers in Central Asia, based on generally recognized norms of international law, mutual respect and consideration of the interests of all participating parties/stakeholders. At the present stage of the country`s development, the “Concept for the Development of the Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2020–2030”, which has been recently adopted, provides for the development and promotion of mutually acceptable mechanisms for the joint management of trans-boundary water resources, considering a balance of interests of all countries of Central Asian region.

In turn, having previously mentioned the long-term activities of IFAS, Vadim Sokolov in his presentation gave a comprehensive diagnostic review of the interactions between Uzbekistan and neighboring countries on the joint management of water resources in the Amu Darya river basin through the following prisms of (i) the key characteristic of the Amu Darya river basin, (ii) the specifics of natural river flow in the Amudarya basin, (iii) data on the transformations of the Amu Darya River’s hydrological regime as a result of climate change and the consequences of the ecological crisis of the Aral Sea, which affected the system of air and humidity circulation in Central Asia, (iv) the regulating process by reservoirs of the Amu Darya River flows, (v) cumulation/storage of return waters, (vi) the water distribution principles within the Amu Darya River and (vii) the complexities of managing the water system of the Amu Darya, (viii) the issues of key water ponds in the South regions of Aral Sea and (ix) assessing the real water demands for a stable substance of water reservoirs of the South part of Aral Sea, (x) the specifics of bilateral relations in matters of joint management and use of water resources in the Amu Darya basin. As the speaker noted, one of the most relevant issues in water management within the Amu Darya basin at the present is the coordination of the principles of water allocation with Afghanistan, as well as the possible impact of the joint development of water resources of the Panj River by Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

In report entitled as “Issues of trans-boundary water management in Central Asia: diplomacy, law, science” Dinara Ziganshina introduced the specifics of the interaction model within the ICWC through the collegiality/companionship and coordination between the executive bodies and water management departments of the Central Asian countries in decision-making over general water management issues, as well as measures for the implementation of joint programs regarding interdependence between national and regional interests of the participating countries. The expert emphasized the advantages of contemporary diplomatic mechanisms and channels, in contrast to traditional ones, in particular, in the implementation of the so-called “water” diplomacy, expressed in multi-level and network interactions, cooperation between expert communities and representatives of various branches of science in promoting the common development and collaboration goals of the countries of Central Asia.

The final part of the academic seminar was followed by the Q&A session, when participants of the event commented on the topic under discussion and shared views on raised issues, expressed their initiatives to better identify the “water” economy, create the status of so called “water” attaches and other institutions within diplomatic service’s activities in the field of trans-boundary water management in Central Asia, anchoring the importance of discussed issues in the development of a new version of the Concept of Foreign Political Activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Executive Secretary of UWED Methodological Council
Department of International Relations,
Senior Lecturer/ Assistant Professor,
PhD, Muminova N.Ya.