Uzbekistan Calls For Regional Water Conservation Technology Program In Central Asia

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 4. We urge collective action to initiate a regional program for the implementation of water-saving technologies across Central Asia, the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, said at a climate forum held as part of the "EU - Central Asia" summit in Samarkand, Trend reports.

"As part of these efforts, it is planned to hold an international forum in the Aral Sea region to discuss these plans with experts," he said.

According to Mirziyoyev, projections show that by 2040, Central Asian countries will face a high level of water stress due to the reduced flow of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. The region is already experiencing the consequences of one of humanity's largest tragedies-the drying up of the Aral Sea.

"In order to conserve water resources, Uzbekistan is actively cementing its irrigation networks and creating an industrial base for the production of water-saving technologies, which have already been implemented on half of the country's irrigated land. This amounts to almost 2 million hectares. As a result of these measures, around 8 billion cubic meters of water were saved last year," Mirziyoyev added.

The Uzbek president emphasized that the country expects close cooperation with the European Union within the framework of the "Copernicus" program, aimed at continuous satellite monitoring of glaciers and early detection of risks to mountain ecosystems.