Water issues of Kyrgyz Republic

“Water is the Driver of Nature”

- Leonardo da Vinci.

Water resource is vital for all living creatures of the planet. Yet, here is one question; how should it be managed so that all can enjoy and benefit from it equally.

 The Kyrgyz Republic is one of the main countries that must think about this question most, because it has a vast amount of water resource in Central Asia which is used by its neighboring states such as Xinjiang province in China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Annual average of total water resources makes up 2,458 cubic kilometers including 50 cubic kilometers of surface river run off, 13 cubic kilometers of potential reserves of ground water, 1,745 cubic kilometers of lake water, 650 cubic kilometers of glaciers in Kyrgyzstan’s territory. Besides, more than 3,500 rivers flowing on the territory of the republic supply water to the neighboring states: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. About 75 per cent of river runoff goes to them.

Therefore, Kyrgyzstan, together with Tajikistan, plays a main role in any round tables and meetings where water issues are discussed.

Nowadays, water resource is being an interstate issue especially in Central Asia. However, five post-soviet countries of the region are not being able to approach to compromise. There are only two upstream countries in the region Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic which cannot come to compromise with such downstream states as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

  Economy of all the five countries is heavily dependent on agriculture, especially Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan with their annually increasing cotton fields. Thus, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan need water for their cotton and rice fields more than any other states of the region. Besides, Uzbekistan’s agriculture accounts for 28 per cent of its GDP.

 Kazakhstan also needs water for its fields but it grows mostly wheat which requires less amount of water than rice and cotton. According to UN figures, rice uses an average of 30,000 cubic meters of water per hectare, cotton 12,000 cubic meters, and wheat just 5000 cubic meters.

 Another factor causing the demand increase of water resources is a population rate increase. Annual population growth of Tajikistan is 3 per cent, Uzbekistan’s population grows by 2 per cent a year, Kyrgyzstan’s lower at 1,5 per cent.

 All the aforementioned facts, causing the increase of the demand of water resource, bring to the rise of disputable relations on water issues among the states of Central Asia.

  According to some international analysis water is being most politicized resource in recent decades. At least 42 violent conflicts took place worldwide since the start of the last century according to them.

   Unfortunately, we can see the similar problematic picture in Central Asia as well. There has been constant tension among the states especially over the two rivers Syr Darya and Amu Darya. The reason behind is that these two rivers are the main rivers of the region. Besides, they account for nearly 90 per cent of the region’s water resources.

The tension among the states increased so much that in 1996’s  report Uzbekistan mentioned that it would be willing to use its military forces to seize the Toktogul Dam in Kyrgyzstan if its water security was threatened. 

All the water disputes exist since the independence from USSR, although, after getting independence, five countries signed an Almaty Agreement in 1992 where they set quotas for water use. Nevertheless, the agreements nature was made in regard to the USSR’s water management system which was not in favor of the upstream states; Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

  In fact, during Soviet Union all the downstream countries were the producers of cotton. Thus, they were given preference during the decision making process in Moscow. At that time USSR was centralized and all its members had common economy, policy and ideology. However, today there are five independent countries in Central Asia with separate economies, policies and even ideologies unlike USSR.

 Some scholars say this “Nevertheless, the bulk of the region’s water resources are still allocated to the downstream countries, leaving the upstream states with little access to the water generator on their territory.” This little access of upstream counties is, according to most scholars, is the reason of the Almaty Agreement where they set quotas for water usage. Thanks to this agreement Uzbekistan alone consumes half of the water resources of the region.

The main consumers of water resource in the region are Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, although Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have over 90 per cent of the water resources of the region. Thus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are not happy with upstream countries to control their water flow. However, Kyrgyzstan asked Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to share the costs of maintaining and operating the Toktogul Reservoir in 1990’s.  In fact the cost of maintaining the reservoir was estimated at between US $15 million and US $27 million per year. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan turned down the request of Kyrgyzstan. Some analytics point out that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan lost their opportunity by refusing Kyrgyzstan’s request.

The upstream countries see water as a commodity for trade and profit. However, the downstream countries claim that water is the natural resource which all people should enjoy equally and it should not be owned by any countries.

However, Kyrgyzstan has law on interstate use of water resources which says: “water has its own economy value and is owned by the state. Water resources are created on Kyrgyz territory are the property of the country, and neighbors should, therefore, pay for it.”

Recommendation:

  Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are the main players of water disputes of the region. Therefore, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan should act together further. Kyrgyzstan should have more negotiations and meetings, devoted to water management, with Tajikistan. In these meetings Kyrgyzstan must try to persuade Tajikistan to demand downstream countries cancel Almaty Agreement and demand another agreement, on water resource management, to be signed.

  Then Kyrgyzstan must persuade the downstream states that it is spending money on reconstruction and maintenance of water channels and rivers in its territory. Besides, Kyrgyzstan needs budget for the maintenance of its dams.

Toktobek Omokeev