Water Resources Management in Central Asia

Water management in Central Asia: state and impact
Bishkek
Tashkent
Astana
Dushanbe
Ashgabad
Kurgan-
Tube
Mary
Kerki
Rogun (1) and Sangtuda (2)
dam and hydroplant projects
Golden Century Lake in
the Kara-Kum desert
in Turkmenistan
Projected increase of
water use demand from
Amu-Daria by Afghanistan
Plan for diverting Irtych
and Ob rivers to Aral Sea
KARAKALPAKSTAN
Kanbar-Ata I and II
hydroplant projects
CASPIAN
SEA
ARAL
SEA
LAKE
BALKHASH
Volga
Am
u-D
ary
a
Syr-
Dary
a
LAKE
ISSYK-KUL
LAKE
ZAIZAN
LAKE
ALAKOL
LAKE
SARYGAMYSH
RESERVOIR-LAKE
OF KAPCHAGAÏ
RESERVOIR
CHARDARA
KARA-KUM
CANAL
Ishym
Tob
ol
RESERVOIR
TOKTOGUL
Irty
sh
U
ra
l
RESERVOIR
NUREK
CANAL
IRTYSH-
KARAGANDA
SAREZ LAKE
KYRGYZSTAN
KAZAKHSTAN
UZBEKISTAN
TAJIKISTAN
IRAN
AFGHANISTAN
TURKMENISTAN
CHINA
RUSSIA
AZERBAIJAN
RUSSIA
PAKISTAN
RUSSIA
200
400
0
600 km
2
1
Rivers
Lakes
Projected water infrastructure or management
plans with conflict or international dimension
Share and distribution of
Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya
waters : lack of coherent
multilateral policies among
the five Central Asian countries
Source: Water management in Central Asia: state and impact. (2005). UNEP/GRID-
Arendal Maps and Graphics Library. Retrieved 18:23, January 19, 2009 from: http://
maps.grida.no/go/graphic/water_management_in_central_asia_state_and_impact1

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Water resources management in Central Asia
19
Número 25, 2009
The Golden Century Lake in the Kara-Kum desert in Turkmenistan
It must be noted that for Turkmenistan, water issues lie at the top of 
its political agenda, which it tends to view as a solely domestic issue. In 
recent times the country has not been taking part in any regional meetings 
on management of water resources, having started to follow a unilateral 
resource capture policy of constructing the Golden Century Lake. Since 
the year 2000, construction of this large (projected area of 2,000 square 
kilometres) artificial lake has made good progress, constituting the single 
largest out-of-basin transfer in the region, substantially increasing the area 
of irrigated land under cultivation in the country –4,000 square km of 
farmland. The constructed is projected to be completed in 2010.
The project has been subject to extensive controversy, with experts 
contending that the lake will, as a result of Turkmenistan’s soils and 
heat, only result in a massive dead lake that will contribute to salini-
zation. Another concern according to the International Crisis Group 
is related to the fact that around one million ethnic Uzbeks residing 
in the Dashkhovuz province in Turkmenistan are to be moved to the 
Kara-Kum desert upon the completion of the lake (International Crisis 
Group, 2002, p. 26). Uzbekistan has raised concerns that water will be 
drained from the Amu-Darya to maintain the lake’s level, a view in fact 
supported by many international experts (Allouche, 2007, p.50).
Overall, relations between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have 
remained edgy throughout the independence period, with rumours 
circulating of a small-scale armed conflict of the Amu-Darya’s resources 
between the two downstream countries. Some observers claim that 
there have been reports of Uzbekistan troops taking control of water 
control installations by force on the Turkmenistan bank of the river, 
and in 2001, there were reports of a massacre of a large number of 
Uzbekistan troops in Turkmenistan (Sojamo, 2008, p. 82). The reports 
were unsubstantiated, yet there was a clear presence of tensions that are 
only expected to worsen in the coming years. 

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Anar Khamzayeva
20
Documentos CIDOB, Asia
Water resources management in Central Asia
Rogun (1) and Sangtuda (2) dam and hydroplant projects
Despite its internal instability and economic backwardness, Tajikistan 
has highly prioritised the water issue in its domestic and foreign policy 
objectives, having the largest hydroelectric potential in the region. Since 
1998 it has been planning to re-launch the Soviet projects of the con-
struction of the Rogun and Sangtuda hydroplants. 
The construction of the Rogun dam was designed to regulate the 
hydrological regime of the Amu-Darya, yet the plan could seriously 
hamper its already-strained relations with Uzbekistan. The latter has 
been actively protesting against the Rogun project, as it would lead to 
even greater dependence on Tajikistan and would allow it to cut off 
water to its key agricultural areas (Libert et al., 2008, p. 15).
There is much less disagreement over the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric 
plant, expected to come online in late March of this year, ahead of 
schedule on the request of the Government of Tajikistan due to power 
shortages. Experts note that judging from discussions and high-level 
meetings in 2008, it is likely that flows of investment into developing 
hydropower will increase. 
Iran and Russia are already playing an important role in this sphere, with 
the latter in particular expressing an interest in engaging in the construc-
tion of additional hydroelectric plants in Tajikistan. Iranian investment in 
the Sangtuda-2 plant should make it operational by 2012. Tajikistan also 
has signed an agreement with China to build the $300 million, 160-200 
megawatt Nurobad-2 hydroelectric power plant (Daly, 2009).
The Kambarata 1 and 2 hydroplant projects 
Kyrgyzstan’s relations with downstream countries on Syr-Darya have 
been quite conflictive, with unsubstantiated reports claiming that in 
1996 Uzbekistan threatened to use military force to seize the Toktogul 
dam and reservoir, the strategic water infrastructure, in the event of 

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Water resources management in Central Asia
21
Número 25, 2009
Kyrgyzstan attempting to change the prevailing distribution policy. This 
appears to be believable as cotton fields in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan 
were flooded in the winters of 1993, 1998 and 2001, with Kyrgyzstan 
releasing too much water from the dams in that period and during the 
summer season not enough was available for irrigation. 
Just like Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan seeks to increase its hydropower-gener-
ating capacity with more hydropower stations planned to be built. Yet, 
the hydro-energy sector of Kyrgyzstan has been in complete disarray 
with the government in search of investors to construct the Kambarata 
1 and 2 hydroplants on the Naryn River. Both hydroplant projects are 
said to be unattractive to foreign investors, even though the construc-
tion of hydroplants upstream of the Toktogul Dam is meant to make 
it possible to generate hydropower to solve domestic energy shortages, 
earn hard currency for electricity exports and still accumulate water for 
irrigation purposes. Continued use of existing hydropower and devel-
opment of new hydropower stations are likely to remain the priority 
alternatives for Kyrgyzstan with or without the consent of co-basin 
countries, which will only aggravate the existing disagreements. 
Projected increase of water use demand from the Amu-Darya 
by Afghanistan
Almost 40% of Afghanistan’s territory and 33% of its population 
reside within the Aral Sea basin, which makes the country an important