Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan agree to install transboundary water meters

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to install meters at each other’s locations that will allow them to calculate the exact volume of water consumed by both countries, the press service of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan reported.

Photo: gov.kz

The parties will exchange information about mutual water consumption online. Now experts from both countries are deciding where water meters will be installed. Negotiations are underway with international organizations to involve them in this project.

Previously, transboundary gauging stations “Patar” and “Sarvak”, which will allow for more accurate measurements of water flow for irrigation, were installed along the Northern and Greater Fergana Canals on the border of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Water consumption by both countries has been measured in the border area before, but the equipment is outdated. The gauging stations were updated with the support of the Blue Peace Central Asia initiative of the Swiss government.

It should be recalled that in 2023, Kazakhstan announced that it intends to change the agreement on the use of water and energy resources in the Syrdarya River basin with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The Kazakh side points to a violation of the ecological state of the river due to pollutants coming from Uzbekistan.

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