It is no secret that water shortages in Central Asia are becoming more and more urgent due to global climate change. The need of the population of the Central Asian countries for water is mainly satisfied by transboundary rivers - the Amudarya and Syrdarya. According to observations, by 2025, due to climate change and global temperature rise, the stock of glaciers that feed these rivers with water is expected to decrease by 15-20%. Our opinion is confirmed by the fact that the volume of mountain glaciers is decreasing by 0.2-1% per year, and snow reserves in mountain river basins are decreasing. Due to climate change, the summer season in our region is getting longer. 80 percent of water resources are used in agriculture, almost 7-8 % are used in industry, and the rest are used for domestic, service and other purposes. Water relations in the region are legally regulated on the basis of the agreement "On cooperation in the field of management and protection of water resources of interstate sources", adopted between 5 republics. There is an Interstate Coordinating Water Commission. It was established in 1992 and includes a secretariat, two basin organizations of the Syrdarya and Amudarya, and a scientific information center. Meetings of the boards of commissions are held twice a year and more often. Decisions are made on the basis of mutual compromise. Despite this, water problems are aggravating in Uzbekistan, where the demand for water is high.
Due to climate change, permafrost reserves are declining, population growth and the need to provide it with clean drinking water, clothing and food, as well as work, our obligation to allocate large amounts of water for growing agricultural products, as well as changes in the flora and fauna of the environment and a number of others reasons encourage us, that is, all water consumers in the country, to rationally use water, conserve it and adapt to the conditions caused by water scarcity. According to experts, climate change is clearly felt both in Central Asia and in other regions of the world. According to the hydrometeorologists of Uzbekistan, in the next hundred years the average air temperature has exceeded 1C, that is, it has become warmer by 1C. According to climatologists-experts from Kazakhstan, the average annual air temperature increased by 1.4C, and the amount of precipitation decreased by 17 mm. According to experts, by 2100 the air temperature in Central Asia will rise by 2-7 degrees Celsius, and the amount of precipitation will decrease by 8-17 percent. As a result of global climate change in 2050, the volume of runoff in the Syrdarya basin may decrease by 6-10 percent, and in the Amudarya basin by 10-15 percent. Water supply per capita per year in Uzbekistan is 1646 m3. For comparison, let's take the following figures: water supply per capita per year is 5600 m3 on the Asian continent, and the world average is 5996 m3. These figures show that per capita water availability in Uzbekistan is 3.5 times lower than the world indicator. To meet our country's water needs in the future and provide the population with high-quality drinking water, it is necessary to implement comprehensive measures for the practical application of the experience of developed countries in the rational use of water, purification and reuse of polluted wastewater.
Uzbekistan is the country with the greatest need for irrigation water among the countries of Central Asia. Since its irrigated area is large, the rural population is the majority and densely located. Considering that most of the water is used, especially in agriculture, it can be seen that irrigated agriculture has a negative impact on the environment.
Although water is a renewable resource, the number of water scarce areas is increasing every year due to the increase in world population. Saving water not only saves this precious resource, but also helps consumers save their wallets.
Mukharrama Pirmatova, UzA
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