On November 7, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a videoconference on measures to rationally use water and energy resources and reduce losses in agriculture.

Today, the world is seeing an increase in environmental problems and natural disasters. The region faces water shortages, and Uzbekistan is taking active measures to introduce water-saving technologies and protect this valuable resource.

In particular, by concreting 550 kilometers of canals and irrigation ditches, the water supply has improved on ​​200,000 hectares, saving 450 million cubic meters of water annually. Farmers and clusters have also concreted 13,500 kilometers of internal networks.

The water management system has been reformed: a water metering system has been introduced in the districts, and farmers have learned to control their consumption. The transparent system has made it possible to double the volume of water supplied to the fields this year and consider an additional 6 billion cubic meters.

Nevertheless, pressing problems remain. For example, the average cost of supplying each cubic meter of water to clusters and farmers is 212 UZS, while in Bukhara, Kashkadarya, and Namangan regions, the price is 2-3 times higher.

In recent years, $1 billion has been allocated to modernize large pumping stations such as Karshi, Amu-Bukhara, and Amu-Zang. However, due to the wear and tear of medium and small pumps, the cost of water continues to grow. Despite a 10-15 percent reduction in water losses due to canal concreting, losses are still high in 20 districts.

Considering these problems, the following tasks were defined at the meeting. 18 thousand kilometers of main and 94 thousand kilometers of internal canals must be concreted. 800 billion UZS will be allocated for this work next year.

Last year, the cost of concreting was halved thanks to support that included the provision of equipment, labor, and building materials. By entering into direct contracts with contractors for cement supply, the cost price can be further reduced by 20 percent.

It was also noted that the flow of water accelerates in concreted canals, which creates opportunities for the construction of small hydroelectric power plants. In Navoi region, 148 such stations with a total capacity of 11 megawatts have been constructed. In the future, it is planned to build 2,000 micro-hydroelectric power plants, which will allow an additional 600 million kilowatts of electricity to be received annually.

Responsible persons were instructed to develop and communicate the conditions for participation in such projects to entrepreneurs.

The President cited successful examples. In particular, a project worth $21 million to implement an intelligent water supply management system was completed in Dustlik district of Jizzakh region. Meters and video cameras were installed at 2,000 points. Automated control allowed saving 20 percent of water and repairing irrigation networks – another 10 percent. Water management was transferred to the private sector. For the first time, payment for water will be made in advance.

The hokims were instructed to study this experience and implement it in areas with problematic water supply. 

Currently, more than 1.6 thousand pumping stations are used to irrigate lands in the country, which requires significant energy costs. Therefore, 2025 has been declared the Year of Increasing the Efficiency of Pumping Stations in Water Management.

Cooperation with private partners and the installation of energy-saving pumps and solar panels will reduce electricity consumption by 20 percent. In Khorezm region, farmers are already implementing such solutions, receiving additional income from the sale of surplus energy to the state of 7-8 million UZS per month.

Responsible persons have been instructed to expand this experience and support it.

To date, water-saving technologies have been implemented on an area of ​​2 million hectares, saving 2 billion cubic meters of water last year alone. However, in some fields, the equipment does not function efficiently.

This issue will be strictly controlled now. Next year, water-saving technologies will be implemented on another 500,000 hectares. The subsidy system for laser field leveling, previously introduced in Karakalpakstan, will be extended to Khorezm region, and the use of laser leveling will be expanded in other regions.

Another important source of water is the collection of flood waters in spring and autumn. Such facilities will be built in Samarkand, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Namangan, Fergana, and Tashkent regions, improving the water supply on 50,000 hectares. Uzbekhydroenergy has developed a two-year plan to work in this direction.

The President noted that digitalization is the only way to change the water sector radically.

Online control systems and smart meters have been introduced at pumping stations. However, there is no information system for collecting and analyzing data from these devices and accounting and calculating water consumption remain complex.

In this regard, a Water Management Digitalization Center will be created under the Ministry of Water Resources, where a unified information system for accounting and monitoring water consumption will be launched.

Responsible persons have been instructed to develop a program of priority projects in the water sector until 2030.

The opinions and proposals of ministers, hokims, and experts on the issues discussed were heard at the meeting.

UzA