Tajik Paper Accuses Neighbouring Countries of Selfish Use of Water Resources

There is noticeable disagreement about the use of water between countries upstream and downstream the rivers of Amu Darya and Syr Darya, a Tajik journalist Maruf Boborajab says. In his newspaper article, he accuses Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan of selfish use of Central Asian water resources. He also suggests that Uzbek officials were behind cancellation of an agreement between Tajikistan and a Russian aluminium giant to build a major power station. The following is an excerpt from Maruf Boborajab’s article published by the Tajik newspaper Tojikiston on 6 September; subheadings have been inserted editorially:

The use of water resources of the basins of the Aral Sea, which is shared by five post-Soviet countries, is subject to a collision of interests.

[Passage omitted: background]

A round-table meeting of representatives of relevant authorities from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (Kyrgyz representatives did not take part in this meeting) to discuss issues relating to [the use of] water in the basin of the River Syr Darya was to no avail, and was postponed as in previous times.

The use of water in the basin of the River Amu Darya also turned into the subject of debate between experts in the region.

If during the times of the powerful Soviet Union, the issue of using water resources of the basin of the Aral Sea was resolved through a traditional method of commanding, the fact that the system was renewed and five independent states were established in the region changed the situation.

Noticeable disagreement emerged between countries upstream and downstream.

Although, with the participation of representatives from international institutions and organizations, representatives of five countries of the region signed a declaration in [Uzbekistan's] Nukus in September 1995 and the parties took on the responsibility with regard to the effective use of the basin’s water, a deviation from this responsibility is clearly seen. For instance, according to this document, the construction of the Roghun, Sangtuda [-1 and -2] power stations, as well as of a number of power stations on [the River] Zarafshon, should have started [sentence as published]. Time has shown that not all presidents of neighbouring countries have a good attitude towards the construction of these facilities that are important to Tajikistan’s economy.

Uzbek President Islom Karimov’s statement at the latest meeting of the presidents of the Shanghai [Cooperation] Organization member countries is proof of these words.

[Passage omitted: a Tajik expert says the amount of water in the rivers will not decrease if hydroelectric power stations are built in Tajikistan]

Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan gain more from water

To date water in the rivers of Syr Darya and Amu Darya has been distributed in line with a document that was approved back in 1984, and according to it, Uzbekistan uses more than 46 per cent of water, Kazakhstan uses 44 per cent, around 8 per cent is used by Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan uses just a bit more than 1.5 per cent [as published; no mention of Turkmenistan].

Certainly, officials from some neighbouring countries are not willing to make a distinction between the notions of using and consuming water in utilizing this natural wealth.

Even if Tajikistan builds tens of power stations in the volume of 116 cu km of its water resources, the amount of water in the rivers will not decrease at all, because hydro-energy is about using water, not about consuming it.

Whereas Tajikistan has not built any hydrotechnical facility in the years of its independence, except for the Sangtuda-1 and Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power stations and other power stations are only planned, 720,000 ha of new land has been developed in Turkmenistan since 1992. In all, 600,000 ha of new arable land has been irrigated in Uzbekistan, and 90,000 ha in Kazakhstan [since], water for which originates in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Furthermore, a reservoir called Turkmen Koli [the Turkmen lake] has been built in Turkmenistan.

Kazakhstan has constructed “the Aral [Sea] of Kazakhstan” in the northern part [of the Aral Sea].

Uzbekistan has built a new reservoir extending for 35 sq km.

Each of these constructions has to do with the notion of consuming water.

Uzbekistan to blame for delays with Tajik power plants

Some presidents of neighbouring countries pay “attention” to Tajikistan’s hydroelectric power stations, which are planned and are being built. So where is the logic?

Most experts are convinced that officials from Uzbekistan’s government are behind the fact that construction work at the Roghun hydroelectric power station has been suspended, and that Tajikistan’s government has eventually canceled its long-term cooperation agreement with Russia’s RusAl open joint-stock company.

There are now plans to set up an international consortium within the open joint-stock company, Tajikistan’s Hydroelectric Power Station, and the [date of the] beginning of construction is not clear.

A number of hydroelectric power stations on the River Zarafshon will also share Roghun’s fate.

Our neighbouring brothers have a “valuable” role in this matter as well. Although the operation of hydroelectric power stations on the [River] Zarafshon is planned to be controlled day and night, specialists from the neighbouring country [Uzbekistan] do not want to understand that Tajikistan’s hydrotechnical facility will not have any negative effect on the areas demanding water in Samarqand and Buxoro regions.

On the contrary, the construction of a reservoir can regulate the use of water in [the River] Zarafshon when farmers in the neighbouring country need.

A regular meeting of an interstate Central Asian coordinating commission in Tashkent was fruitless.

If Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan put forward one joint project, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have their own project.

Time will tell which side will be able to prove that its claims are right at future meetings.

[Passage omitted: a mechanism for using water in Central Asian countries should resume]

Originally published by Tojikiston, Dushanbe, in Tajik 6 Sep 07, p 6.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Central Asia. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.