Kazakh Deputy PM Bozumbayev calls for coordinated action at CA meeting to tackle climate change and water shortages
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev on Thursday held the 90th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia (ICWC), Kazinform News Agency cites the press service of the Kazakh Government.
Among the meeting attendees were officials from agencies concerned and foreign ministries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, as well as international financial institutions and development organizations.
The 90th meeting of the ICWC, which acts as the main interstate organization in the region in strategic management of transborder water resources, focused on the challenging agroclimatic situation and addressed equitable water allocations.
In his speech, Bozumbayev said that this year’s vegetation period is taking place under very tense circumstances, calling on the region’s nations for coordinated action and strict adherence to the reached agreements in coming years amid climate change projections and water shortages.
Bozumbayev noted that water levels in the Shardara Reservoir fell below the long-term average, posing a serious threat to water supply to the lower reaches.
We’re forced to state that the decisions adopted within the ICWC are not executed in full, leading to major challenges in water management, he said, urging concrete actions. “I’m convinced that our partnership will continue to develop in a spirit of trust and mutual understanding, and joint work will produce tangible results for our nations and the entire region”.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with the leadership of water management agencies of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Discussions focused on the use of limits set and operating rules for reservoirs in Syrdarya and Amudarya river basins as well as an action plan for the preparation for the 2026 vegetation period.
Following the meeting, a protocol of the 90th ICWC meeting was signed. The next meeting is set to take place in Turkmenistan.
Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported Europe is facing one of the most severe droughts in modern history. For the fourth consecutive month, more than half of the continent and the Mediterranean region have been suffering from water shortages, threatening agriculture, economy, and ecosystems.
