R. Kulmatov. National University of Uzbekistan.

e-mail: rasihdkulmatov@yahoo.com

The modern problems of using and management of

water resources of Aral Sea basin, including

transboundary rivers issues.

WATER RESOURCES IN THE ARAL SEA BASIN

• The total mean annual flow of all rivers in the Aral

Sea Basin is estimated as about 116 km3.

• This amount comprises the flow of the Amudarya

at 79.4 km3/year and the Syrdarya at 36.6

km3/year.

• In accordance with flow probabilities of 5% (very

wet years) and 95% (dry years), the annual flow

ranges from 109.9 to 58.6 km3 for the Amudarya

and from 51.1 to 23.6 km3 for the Syrdarya.

Surface water resources in the Aral Sea basin (mean

annual runoff, km3/year)

Country

River Basin Total Aral Sea Basin

Syrdarya Amudarya km3/a %

Kazakhstan 2.516 — 2.51 2.2

Kyrgyzstan 27.54 1.65 29.19 25.2

Tajikistan 1.005 58.7 59.73 51.5

Turkmenistan — 1.40 1.405 1.2

Uzbekistan 5.56 6.79 12.35 10.6

Afghanistan and Iran — 10.8 10.81 9.3

Total Aral Sea basin 36.62 79.4 116.02 100

Бытовые нужды

Энергетика

Промышленность

Рыбное хозяйство

Сельское хозяйство

92,0%

5,5% 0,2% 1.5%

0.8%

Use of water resources on branches of economy

Бытовые нужды

Энергетика

Промышленность

Рыбное хозяйство

Сельское хозяйство

92,0%

5,5% 0,2% 1.5%

0.8%

Use of water resources in agriculture

in the Aral Sea Basin countries

Kazakhstan13%

Kyrgyzstan8%

Tajikistan10%

Turkmenistan21%

Uzbekistan48%

Distribution of underground water resources, km3

State

Evaluation of regional resources

Exploitational resources

approved to use Available to use

Kazakhstan 1.84 1.22 0.17

Kyrgyzstan 0.862 0.67 0.291

Tajikistan 6.65 2.20 0.97

Turkmenistan 3.36 1.22 0.42

Uzbekistan 18.45 7.79 6.95

Aral Sea basin 31.17 13.11 8.07

SyrDaria basin 16.42 7.43 4.76

AmuDaria basin 14.75 5.68 3.31

Change in water in-take dynamics in countries in the Amudarya river Basin

64,5

53,1

12,5 13,3

23,726,4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1980 2006-2009 1980 2006-2009 1980 2006-2009

Узбекистан Таджикистан Туркменистан

off

-take v

olu

me,

km

3

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan Turkmenistan

• At this time, all countries of the Aral Sea Basin use irrational

irrigation methods such as furrow and flood irrigation. Using

these methods leads to a loss of a great volume of water

through evaporation and filtration.

• Due to the poor development of the irrigation networks and

ineffective water resource management, the losses due to

evaporation and filtration are estimated to be about 40% .

• The cotton-monoculture has been the main reason for the

ecological problems in the region.

Irrigated agriculture

What does water mean for the Aral Sea Basin countries?

• A water supply for the whole population

• 23% of the national income

• Employment of 34% of the people

• Food independence

• Environmental security

• Generation of 38% of electric energy

• $1 of irrigated agriculture’s output to $2.3 of associated effect

11

12

Major results of ICWC activities

• Established system of annual planning and allocation of water resources from interstate sources (BWO «Amudarya» and BWO «Syrdarya»);

• Information provision is open for water users in all countries www.cawater-info.net;

• Created training system with four branches;

• Developed water information system for five countries CAREWIB;

• Unit water input per 1 ha decreased from 14 thousand m3 in 1990 to 12300 m3 in 2006 and 11500 m3 in 2007!

LAND RESOURCES OF THE ARAL SEA BASIN

Total land resources: 154.9 mln. ha

Total Irrigated lands: 8.4 mln. ha

• Good land availability exists in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan; but

land is scarce for the three other countries.

• Cotton still remains one of the most important crops, although

between 1990 and 2010 its share of irrigated agriculture decreased

from 45% to 25%.

• The area under cereal production (wheat, rice, maize and others)

increased from 12% to 77%.

• Wheat became the dominant crop in the region, which covers about

30% of total irrigated area.

Land resources

Country

Area of the country

Cultiva-ble area

Cultivat-ed area

Actually irrigated

area

ha ha ha ha

Kazakhstan* 34 440 000 23 872 400 1 658 800 786 200

Kyrgyzstan* 12 490 000 1 257 400 595 000 422 000

Tajikistan 14 310 000 1 571 000 769 900 719 000

Turkmenistan 48 810 000 7 013 000 1 805 300 1 735 000

Uzbekistan 44 884 000 25 447 700 5 207 800 4 233 400

The Aral Sea basin

154 934 000 59 161 500 10 036 800 7 895 600

* only provinces in the Aral Sea basin are included

lirrigated lands,

%

2.28

3.38

5.02

3.55

9.48

5.09

What is the extent of the soil

degradation problem?

• Over 6 mln. ha of irrigated lands, or 55% of

total irrigated area in Kazakhstan,

Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, are damaged by

increased salinity- 70- 90%

• The cotton and wheat harvest, as well as water

productivity in such areas, are 20 to 40% lower

compared to non-saline areas

• Farmers face the problem of high water

deficiency in these areas

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS

Development of scientific - practical, engineering -design

works directed on the savings, rational use and protection

of water resources of the Aral Sea basin.

Development of monitoring of waters in the basin of

the rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya, equipment by

modern means of the account of volume and quality of

river waters.

Realization of research and engineering-design works on

clearing, regeneration of collector-drainage waters for reuse,

demineralization of salty waters.

Transboundary Water Issues of Aral Sea basin countries. Application of international legal mechanisms for

solution

Issues of transboundary

water use. (Source: Sh. Khamraev)

Irrigation and Environmental Mode

Energy Mode

Issues of transboundary water use

Artificial floods in winter

Water scarcity in summer

Consequences of energy mode

Given this background, it is worrying that

countries located in the rivers’ upstream

are using transboundary waters in

manner that contradicts internationally

accepted norms and principles. They are

Rogun HPS in Tajikistan and Kambarata

HPSs in Kyrgyzstan.

Plans of Kyrgyzstan for hydroenergy production

in Syr Darya River Basin (in red – planning)

Hydro energy Plants Installed

capacity

(MWt)

Production

(billion

kWt/year)

Reservoir volume

(km3)

Full Useful

In operation 3470 12753.3 20.4 14.1

Kambarata -1 360 1000 7,0 8

Kambarata-2 1900 4580 4.65 3.43

Total 5730 18333,3 25.1 17.5

KAMBARATA HPS-1 PROJECT. (Source: B. Alihanov 2011)

• dam height of 275 meters

• capacity of the reservoir 4,7 cubic. km.

• high probability of earthquake with seismic

intensity of 9-10, land and rockslide activities

The accidents with the dams destruction of Kambarata HPSs and

Toktogul HPS located below would also be disastrous for the

region. In this case, the damage will be enormous - more than 500

settlements will be under water of breakthrough wave.

Man-caused risks and threats of Kambarata 1HPS Project

Result: Negative impact of energy mode operation of Toktogul

HPS in Uzbekistan (creation of large Aydar-Arnasai lake systems,

flooding over 350 000 ha of lands)

ROGUN HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION PROJECT

Source: B. Alihanov 2011

•dam height of 335 meters

•tectonic break under the Rogun HPS filled

by rock salt with the depth of 100 meters

•natural catastrophes occur periodically in

the area with the magnitude of 9 or more by

the Richter’s scale

In the case of Rogun HPS’s dam break:

- wave height at the starting point: 200 meters;

- wave velocity in the first 4-5 km: 40-129 m/s;

• at the end point (the Republic of Karakalpakstan, more

than 1400 km away from the Rogun HPS) wave will

reach a height of 6-7 meters;

• the whole cascade of downstream HPSs will be

destroyed (Nurek HPS, Vakhsh cascade №1, №2,

Perepadnaya HPS №1, №2, Sangtuda HPS №1 and №2);

• the area of 1.3-1.5 million hectares, more than 700

settlements in the territory of Tajikistan, Afghanistan,

Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan inhabited by about 6.7

million people will be flooded. (B. Alihanov, 2011)

• As a result of runoff reduction the direct yield

losses of Uzbekistan in 5 years will reach USD 20.6

billion

• According to the estimates of researchers from the

University of New Mexico and North Dakota:

annually USD 600 million of losses in agriculture,

reducing GDP by 2%, 300 000 unemployed (B. Alihanov

2011).

United Nations Conventions

• The basic multilateral agreement in sphere of the international water law within the limits of the United Nations are the Convention on protection and use of transboundary watercourses and the international lakes from 1992, and the Convention on non-navigable kinds of use of the international watercources from 1997.

Major Principles of the International Water Conventions

• The Conventions consider interests of both

downstream and upstream countries

• Fair and rational water use of

transboundary watercourses

• When using transboundary watercourses a

rule of “do not harm” is applied

International Water Law

Uzbekistan joined the following International

Conventions:

Convention on the Protection and Use of

Transboundary Watercourses and International

Lakes, Helsinki, 17.03.1992

Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational

Uses of International Watercourses, New-York,

21.05.1997.

Conclusion

• International experience has shown that without consideration of neighboring countries concerns in area of construction of large hydro technical structures on transboundary rivers can harm relations between the countries over the use of water resources.

• Thus the international community has developed numerous legal framework documents which regulate the obligatory coordination for construction and operation of hydro energy structures with all countries in the basins of the transboundary rivers.

• Uzbekistan advocates to conduct independent international expertise for the construction of large hydro technical structures

Good neighbourly relationship

• Problems of protection and sustainable use of transboundary water resources of the Amudarya and Syrdarya River basins concerns interests of the people of five neighbouring countries having deep historical, economic and cultural relations, and these problems should be dealt with the account and application of the international legal mechanisms.

Thank You!