Geography

Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, with a total area of 448 970 Sq.Km. It is bordered in the north and north-west by Kazakhstan (with the total border length of 2,206 km), in the north-east and east by Kyrgyzstan (border length of 1,099 km), in the south-east by Tajikistan (border length of 1,161 km), in the south-west by Turkmenistan (border length of 1,621 km), and in the south by Afghanistan (the border length of 137 km. The country gained its independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in August 1991. Physiographically the country can be divided into three zones: the desert (Kyzylkum, Karakum and newly formed desert - Aralkum), steppe and semi-arid region, mainly the central and western parts; the fertile valleys (including the Fergana valley) that skirt the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers; and the mountainous areas in the east with peaks of about 4,643 m above sea level.

Population and land use

The total population was 33.9 Million as per the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics, 2020. During the period 2001–2011 annual population growth rate was estimated at 1%. Population density is about 75.5 inhabitants/km², which is the highest of the five former Soviet Central Asian republics. Population ranges from more than 727.4 inhabitants/km² in Andijan province in the Fergana valley in the east to only 11.3 inhabitants/km² in Karakalpakstan. By January 2020, the agricultural area was 20.8 Mha or 46.25 percent of the total land fund of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Climate and rainfall

The climate is continental; arid/deserts cover over 70% of the territory. Average annual rainfall is 264 mm, ranging from less than 97 mm in the northwest to 425 mm in the mountainous regions in the centre and south. In the Fergana valley, average annual rainfall varies between 98 and 502 mm, while in the Tashkent vilayat, it varies between 295 and 878 mm. Rainfall occurs during the winter and spring periods, mainly between October and April. There are high temperatures 42–47ºC on the plains and 25–30ºC in the mountainous regions in July, and low temperatures in winter, minus 11ºC in the north and 2–3ºC in the south in January. Because of frequent frosts, between late September and April, only one crop a year can be grown. In favourable years, however, double-cropping of vegetables with a short growing period is possible.

Food and agriculture

In 2019, the cropped area was an estimated 3.3 Mha. Cotton, called ‘white gold’, was the dominant crop within Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector during the Soviet period. Although cotton had been grown in the region for hundreds of years, the crop’s expansion in the twentieth century was made possible by two main factors: expansion of irrigated area and Soviet central planning. Irrigation allowed for increased crop production and central planning-imposed cotton as the major crop. In exchange for cotton production, central planning provided Uzbekistan with water, energy and food from elsewhere in the integrated national system. In the mid-1990s, the country was the fourth largest producer of cotton in the world and the third largest cotton exporter. Cotton, with vegetables and fruits are the country’s principal exports. To meet the local food needs, the government mandated increase of wheat production, means the wheat growing areas are now larger and the cotton-growing area smaller, because the wheat and cotton-growing season overlap. The volume of crop production in 2019 was 108.3 trillion soum and its ratio in the total agricultural production was 50.2%. Thanks to measures for further increase of production and crop diversification, in 2019, 7.2 Mt of grain was produced and 2.9 Mt of potato, 9.9 Mt of vegetables, 1.9 Mt of melons and gourds, 2.7 Mt of fruits and berries, and 1.6 Mt of grapes were harvested. The analysis in 2019 showed 70.1% of total agricultural product by dehkan farms (private farm holdings), 26.9% by farm enterprises, and 3.0% by agricultural enterprises.

Irrigation and drainage

In ancient times (from the fourth century before the common era or until the second century of the common era ), the irrigated area in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya, Zeravshan and Kashkadarya rivers in central Asia was 3.5-3.8 Mha. In 2019, the irrigated area was an estimated at 4.2 Mha or 20.2 percent of the agricultural area in Uzbekistan. Irrigated land accounts for more than 90 percent of crop production. About 44 percent of the total irrigated area is in the Syr Darya basin and 56 percent in the Amu Darya basin. Considering the area suitable for irrigation and future water saving, irrigation potential is 4.9 Mha. Irrigation in Uzbekistan relies on a system of pumps and canals, which is among the most complex in the world. About 3.3 million ha of irrigated land require drainage. In 2017 drained area reached 3.0 million ha (according to Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources). Most of the drainage systems are open drains.

Water resources management

There are 55 reservoirs in Uzbekistan with a total capacity of over 22 km³. The largest reservoirs are multipurpose dams used for irrigation, flood control and hydropower production. In the Syr Darya basin, the largest reservoirs are the Charvak and Andijan reservoirs. In the Amu Darya basin, the largest reservoir is the Tuaymuyun, in Khorezm vilayat, with a storage capacity of 7.8 km³, comprising four separate reservoirs. Two river basins are found in Uzbekistan, which form the Aral Sea basin: (1) Amu Darya basin – covers 81.5% of the country. The total flow produced in the Amu Darya basin is an estimated 79.36 km³/year on average, calculated by adding the internal renewable surface water resources (IRSWR) of the different countries in the basin: Tajikistan 49.9 km³/year, Kyrgyzstan 1.6 km³/year, Afghanistan 22.92 km³/year, Uzbekistan 4.82 km³/year and Turkmenistan 0.12 km³/year, while the 5 and 95 percent probabilities are an estimated 108.4 and 46.9 km³/year respectively. About 4.82 km³/year, or 6% of the average total surface water resources of the Amu Darya river basin, are generated within Uzbekistan. (2) Syr Darya basin – covers 13.5% of the country. The total flow produced in the Syr Darya basin is an estimated 37.56 km³/year, calculated by adding the IRSWR of the different countries in the basin: Kyrgyzstan 27.61 km³/year, Tajikistan 1.01 km³/year, Uzbekistan 6.17 km³/year and Kazakhstan 2.78 km³/year. The total river flow generated inside Uzbekistan is thus estimated at 11 km³/year of which 44% from the Amu Darya river basin and 56% from the Syr Darya river basin. The renewable groundwater resources are an estimated 8.8 km³/year, of which 2 km³/year are considered an overlap with surface resources.

Water policies

A water law was approved in May 1993. It introduced the notion of water rights. Within the general objective of water savings, Article 30 emphasizes the need for water pricing, although it still leaves room for subsidies to the water sector. The legal framework is constantly being improved and in 2009 a new law was approved on ‘Introducing amendments to some legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with the deepening of economic reforms in agriculture and water management’. The law is said to be successful in the water sector, because it clearly governs the relationship between water users, increases their responsibility concerning the rational and economical use of water, determines the status of water consumer associations (former water users associations) and reflects the basic principles of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM).

According to the President’s Decree of 2019, the national Ministry of Housing and Utilities was assigned responsible for coordination of monitoring, safety and quality of water resources in the State water fund, as well as for forming of consolidated republican water balance. Particularly, the Ministry is responsible for ensuring strategic reserves of fresh drinking water, coordination of activities of relevant ministries and agencies in the area of water security and innovations in water use, development of mid- and long-term water supply and wastewater management, organization of work on scientific experiments and research to find cost-efficient and practical methods and ways for prevention of water pollution. To strengthen the interstate water cooperation in Central Asia, in the recent years, upon an initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, a number of agreements were signed with riparian states on transboundary water sharing and respective bilateral transboundary water commissions were established.

ICID and National Committee

Uzbekistan joined ICID in 1994 and established the Uzbekistan National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (UzNCID). To highlight the importance of freshwater and advocate sustainable management of freshwater resources, a one-day conference to celebrate the World Water Day was held on 19 March 2019 at the Tashkent State Institute of Irrigation. Prof. Victor A. Dukhovny received the prestigious 1st World Irrigation and Drainage Prize during ICID’s First World Irrigation Forum held at Mardin, Turkey in 2013. Prof. Victor A. Dukhovny was also the Vice President of ICID during 2003-2006, and H.E. Shavkat Khamrayev, the Minister of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan was the Vice President of ICID during 2019-2022. Dr. Vadim Sokolov is currently the Vice President of ICID (2023-2026). Mr. L. Mukhamednazarov is the Chairman of UzNCID.