Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan reach deal on joint water management at Bahri Tojik reservoir

Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan have agreed on a joint operational regime for the “Bahri Tojik” reservoir for the summer of 2025.

On May 30, during a high-level international conference on glacier preservation held in Dushanbe, representatives of the three countries held a trilateral meeting. The talks were attended by Tajikistan’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Water Resources Shavkat Hamroyev, and Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.

According to the press service of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, the parties discussed key issues related to trilateral cooperation in managing water resources, including the sustainable use of reservoirs and the coordinated operation of large hydrotechnical facilities. Particular attention was given to enhancing coordination in the effective and equitable distribution of water resources in the context of climate change.

As a result of the talks, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan signed a trilateral statement agreeing on the operational regime of the Bahri Tojik reservoir (also known as the Tajik Sea) for the summer period from June to August 2025.

The document outlines the collaborative operation of the water facility in a way that takes into account the interests of all parties. It is aimed at ensuring water security in the region and the rational use of water resources.

It was noted that during the period from October 2024 to March 2025, the inflow to the Bahri Tojik reservoir amounted to 12.32 cubic kilometers, which is 1.04 km³ higher than the schedule approved by the Syrdarya Basin Water Organization.

The water outflow from the reservoir also exceeded expectations – reaching 11.13 km³, which is 1.23 km³ more than planned. As a result, by the end of the vegetation season, the water volume in the reservoir reached 3.5 km³.

Forecasts indicate that during the 2025 vegetation period, the total inflow to the Syrdarya River basin is expected to be 25.77 km³ – 87% of the standard figure of 29.49 km³.

According to the minutes of the 89th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) held on April 5, 2025, the allocated water withdrawal quotas were set at 909 million m³ for Kazakhstan (via the Dustlik Canal), 270 million m³ for Kyrgyzstan, 1.9 billion m³ for Tajikistan, and 8.8 billion m³ for Uzbekistan.