Koshtepa canal will reduce the water supply of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan from 80 to 65 percent
The 285-kilometer Koshtepa canal, which is being built by the Taliban, receives 4-4.5 cubic kilometers or 12-13 percent of water from the Amudarya every year. This will cause water supply in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to drop from 80% to 65%. It was said that the fact that Afghanistan has not signed any international cross-border document complicates the negotiations.
In Afghanistan, the construction of the Koshtepa canal, which receives water from the Amudarya by the Taliban, will reduce the water supply of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan from 80 percent to 65 percent.
During the Astana-Tashkent video bridge held on the Sputnik Kazakhstan platform, Abdusamat Haydarov, director of the Diplomatic Academy at the World Economy and Diplomacy University of Uzbekistan, shared his thoughts on the consequences of the construction.
"In the medium term, this may have serious consequences for Central Asian countries, primarily Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. According to experts, the Koshtepa canal receives 4-4.5 cubic kilometers of water per year and reduces the total volume of water in Amudarya by 12-13%. After the construction of the canal is completed, the average water supply to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the middle and lower reaches will decrease from 80 percent to 65 percent," the expert said.
According to him, in the long term, this can lead to a physical reduction of the total water resources, which can cause serious problems for the countries of Central Asia, along with the growth of the population in the region and the development of national economies.
It is planned to complete the construction of the canal in 6 years. Its estimated value is estimated at 600 million dollars and it is financed by " Taliban " . To date, 108 kilometers of the planned 285 kilometers section has been commissioned. At the moment, the channel is being built using old technologies. This can lead to an increase in the actual water intake from the Amudarya. The new canal is planned to provide irrigation of about 500,000 hectares in the Balkh and Kunduz regions of Afghanistan.
Today, it is extremely difficult to negotiate with Afghanistan: the country does not participate in any of the existing international agreements on water resources and transboundary rivers. Therefore, in accordance with the UN international convention, there is an objective need to conclude new agreements on the use of transboundary water among the countries of the region, including Afghanistan.
"Uzbekistan believes that it is necessary to start a practical dialogue with the interim government of Afghanistan and the international community on the construction of a new canal in the Amudarya basin based on international norms and taking into account the interests of all countries in the region, " said Abdusamat Haydarov, head of the Diplomatic Academy of Uzbekistan.
