Balancing the Use of Water Resources in the Amu Darya Basin
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Joelle Rizk and Berdakh Utemuratov ADBN Contributors: Dr. I. Abdullaev, Dr. M. Aminova, Prof. V. Dukhovny, Dr. N. Eqrar, M. Krasznai, Dr. S. Rakhmatullaev, Dr. O. Shipin, H. Thakkar, and Dr. D. Ziganshina. November, 2012. entral Asia and Afghanistan have This policy paper is a collaborative output of abundant natural resources in terms of members of the Amu Darya Basin Network. It C their land, water and energy capabilities. outlines different trends and challenges related During the Soviet era, energy and water to the balance of water use—between energy resources in the Central Asian region were production and agriculture in the upstream and managed on a regional basis, centralized in downstream of the Amu Darya Basin. The Moscow. Upstream hydropower stations paper also addresses the inadequate water- supplied irrigation water to the downstream governance policies in the basin. countries, while the downstream countries supplied their upstream counterparts with The main challenges of achieving balanced fossil fuel. However, following the water use in the Amu Darya Basin are as disintegration of the Soviet Union, the newly follows: independent Central Asian countries decided to pursue self-sufficiency and energy security in The Lack of a mutually acceptable order to reduce their dependency on other regulatory regime on the Amu Darya: countries, including their neighbors. This has River regulation is defined as the caused a split of the regional system of energy control of river flow through artificial and water use, resulting in the collapse of structures, allowing for the use and existing water and energy management release of a designated amount of water mechanisms. The Amu Darya Basin countries at particular times. Currently, the multi- are still attempting to balance the management year regulation capacity of the Amu of water and energy resources through Darya stands at about 76 percent of interstate organizations. river flow.1 However, the Amu Darya river is one of the most turbid rivers in The major characteristics of the Amu Darya the world, with high silt deposits in its River include its transboundary nature, its reservoirs.2 The average annual division between hydropower use and reservoir volume loss is estimated at irrigation use, and most importantly, the extent to which these two uses can be regulated to maintain a balanced supply for upstream and 1 Adapted by Berdakh Utemuratov based on downstream users. These issues resulted in a information from the Interstate Commission for Water reduced storage capacity. Coordination of Central Asia; Amu Darya River Basin; http://www.icwc-aral.uz 2 Research Action Plan Amu Darya, Maja Schluter, Prepared under contract from the European Commission, 2006 2 0.5 percent in Uzbekistan3. With Afghanistan—the late developer: increased dead volume capacity and About 21.5 percent6 of the Amu Darya sedimentation, the reservoir’s storage basin’s water flow originates in capacity continues to decline. The Afghanistan. The existing water and effectiveness of this regulatory regime agricultural infrastructure of is debatable, particularly in the areas of Afghanistan is capable of utilizing only irrigation and energy production. In 7 to 10 percent of its water resources. order to fulfill the demand of the Afghanistan plans to undertake large- agricultural sector, the current scale irrigation and energy regulations would need to be development projects. According to implemented in a mutually agreed upon some estimates, Afghanistan’s irrigated framework. Some experts believe that land capacity can reach 1.5 million7 ha; the lack of a mutually agreed upon, fair however, regional forecasts estimate regulatory framework, which that, based on capacity and investment encompasses agriculture and potentials, Afghanistan will increase its hydropower generation, puts the irrigated land capacity by 200-300 region’s food and energy security at thousand ha, at a cost of $8 to 12 risk. billion8. Inter-sectoral imbalances: Perhaps Coordinating water and energy use includes the greatest challenge for balanced water management, but also requires sound water in the Amu Darya River Basin political, economic and institutional choices. It countries is the management of is imperative to implement policies that will be regional water resources in order to acceptable to all countries in the region. balance competing demands for human consumption, irrigation, industrial use and electricity generation. The basin countries are striving to develop their hydropower potential. At present, approximately 8 percent4 of the hydropower potential of the region has been developed, whereas about 77 percent5 of its water resources are being used for agriculture. 6 Calculated based on: Stuart Horsman, Afghanistan 3 Rakhmatullaev et al. “Geostatical approach in and Transboundary Water Management on the Amu estimation of sedimentation: A case study of Akdarya Darya: A Political History, Foreign and Reservoir”; J. Hydrotech Constr, 2008 Commonwealth Office, United Kingdom Water & 4 Regional Water Intelligence Report Central Asia, Development Publications - Helsinki University of UNDP Water Governance Facility at SIWI; Stockholm, Technology, 2005, p64. March 2010 http://water.tkk.fi/English/wr/research/global/material/ 5 Information provided by the SIC-ICWC, Tashkent, CA_chapters/06-CA_Waters-Horsman.pdf Uzbekistan: Common flow of the Amudarya is 79,3 km3 7 Cooperative management of transboundary water of which for 61,1 km3 is used for irrigation, 4,1 km3 for resources in Central Asia D.C. Mckinnsey water supply, 5,2 km3 use for nature, and 8,9 km losses 8 Information provided by the SIC-ICWC, Tashkent, flow 3. Uzbekistan. 3 INTRODUCTION ater governance in the Amu Darya Basin is complicated by the absence W of effective mechanisms for water management and bilateral/regional cooperation over shared water resources. The presence of institutions to facilitate effective transboundary water management and engage in preventive hydro-diplomacy to mediate disputes between countries is crucial. The history of water conflict and water cooperation, especially over the past 100 years, GOVERNANCE: demonstrates that in the absence of viable institutions, shifts in water use and water The act of governing, which relates availability can create tensions.9 Experts have emphasized the benefits of regional to decisions that define cooperation over shared water resources. expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a The necessity for improved and coordinated separate process or is part of planning regarding water resources in the Amu Darya Basin has become increasingly evident. management or leadership The growing reliance on water for energy and processes. These processes and agriculture needs is fueled by a growing systems are typically administered population and climate change, which causes by a government. the melting of the region’s glaciers that feed its rivers. This policy brief will offer major recommendations for effective planning related to water resources, in order to balance the usage of water infrastructure, particularly in WATER GOVERNANCE: agriculture and energy. The political, social, economic and administrative systems that directly or indirectly affect the use, development and management of water resources. 9 Water Conlflict Chronology, World Water, 2008. http://www.worldwater.org/conflict/index.html. 4 than 71 percent of the region’s energy THE STATUS OF requirements through hydropower WATER USE IN THE production, amounting to an output of approximately 150 GWh. 11 AMU DARYA BASIN Mirroring the water usage for hydropower production, agriculture remains the most important economic activity in the region. Agriculture: Approximately 93.4 percent of the water demand in the Amu Darya 12 Basin is used for irrigation. Agriculture is uring the Soviet era, the Aral Sea Basin a significant component of the riparian River systems were used exclusively in countries’ GDPs: 12 percent of gross the production of cotton, the “white domestic product in Turkmenistan, 20 D percent in Uzbekistan, 22 percent in gold” of Central Asian agriculture.10 Water intakes and return flows were coordinated and Tajikistan, 29 percent in the Kyrgyz 13 limits were established for all major off takes. Republic and 33 percent in Afghanistan. Dams regulated the flow of water, in order to irrigate cotton fields. Generating . Institutions: The Soviet-era bartering hydroelectricity remained a secondary priority, system was unable to serve the newly since a bartering system was already independent Republics; these states sought established: downstream Republics provided to reduce their dependence on their energy resources to upstream Republics; which neighbors for water and energy resources. would in turn store water primarily for However, this approach led to the downstream neighbors’ irrigation needs. realization that neglecting the transboundary nature of common Water management cooperation between resources would not achieve the desired riparian states has fluctuated since the Soviet results. Within a year of their period. At present, countries in the region are independence, the five post-Soviet states in uncertain regarding which flows of water will the Aral Sea basin agreed to maintain and be available, due to the multipurpose usage of adhere to the division of the transboundary water and the difficulties of calculating the water resources as dictated by Moscow. impact of climate change. Moreover, there are They also established an