In 2025, Tajikistan will receive about 12 billion cubic meters of water for irrigating agricultural crops. This decision was made at a meeting of the Interstate Coordination Water Management Commission (ICWMC), held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on April 5.
The results of the meeting were published in the April issue of the commission's newsletter.
Under the interstate agreement, water resources will be distributed among all Central Asian countries.
Tajikistan has been allocated 11 billion 847 million cubic meters of water, of which 9 billion 942 million cubic meters will come from the Amu Darya River, and 1 billion 905 million cubic meters will come from the Syr Darya River.
For the irrigation of agricultural fields from April 1 to October 1, 2025, Tajikistan will use 7 billion cubic meters of water.
The water withdrawal limit from the Amu Darya River for all countries from October 1, 2024, to October 1, 2025, will be 55 billion 512 million cubic meters.
Turkmenistan has been allocated 15 billion 500 million cubic meters of water.
Uzbekistan will receive 16 billion 20 million cubic meters. Additionally, 2 billion 100 million cubic meters will be allocated to maintain the ecosystem in the Amu Darya delta and the Aral Sea.
During the 2025 growing season, the following water distribution will be made from the Syr Darya for the countries:
- 909 million cubic meters for Kazakhstan (Dostyk Canal). It was previously reported that during the 2025 irrigation period, Kazakhstan will receive about 3.7 billion cubic meters of water from the Syr Darya.
- 270 million cubic meters for Kyrgyzstan,
- 8 billion 800 million cubic meters for Uzbekistan.
The use of water resources during the inter-vegetative period (from October 2024 to March 2025) was efficient. The actual water use in the Amu Darya river basin was 93.1% of the total limit.
For Tajikistan, this figure was 79.1%, and the country used 2 billion 327.2 million cubic meters of water (79.1% of the limit).
Turkmenistan used 97.4% of its limit (6 billion 333.7 million cubic meters), and Uzbekistan used 95.2% (6 billion 46.5 million cubic meters).
Water supply from the Syr Darya during the inter-vegetative period also complied with the established limits.
Tajikistan used 56 million cubic meters of water, with a limit of 365 million. Kazakhstan used 490 million cubic meters, with a limit of 488 million.
Kyrgyzstan received 48 million cubic meters, with a limit of 47 million, and Uzbekistan received 3 billion 330 million cubic meters, with a limit of 3 billion 347 million.
The total volume of water withdrawals amounted to 3 billion 924 million cubic meters, which is 323 million cubic meters less than the established limit.
The countries will continue to monitor the distribution of water resources to ensure fair and efficient water usage in the future. In 2025, it is also expected that 975 million cubic meters of water will flow into the Aral Sea.
The Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) represented by five water ministers or their deputies on parity basis is a body of five governments that have entrusted their respective water ministries (committee) with the functions of managing water resources and maintaining the sustainability of natural processes along transboundary waters.