Experience of coordinated water resources useof the Syrdarya river basin states
M.Kh. Khamidov“Syrdarya” Basin Water Organization
The Syrdarya river basin covers an area of 485 ths km2 in the territory of four sovereignstates: the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.
At present, more than 25 million people live on the banks of the Syrdarya river, thus
requiring using the most part of available water resources for their subsistence and development.
The Syrdarya river water resources amount to more than 40 km3, the most or more than 60%of which come from highlands. The flows of the river and its main tributaries are regulated by theNaryn-Syrdarya reservoir cascade and distributed using hydroschemes, intakes and canals. The
total effective capacity of the cascade’s reservoirs amounts to 24 km3, and 9 major hydroelectric
power stations have a total installed capacity of 3720 MW. These structures were constructed
mainly in the middle of the last century, and over the past 30 years they have enabled to increase
the agricultural production by 2.5 times and provide employment for the major part of the growing
rural population constituting 60% of the population living in the Syrdarya river basin.
As new structures, hydroschemes and reservoirs were put into operation on the Syrdarya
river and its tributaries, a complex engineering system functioning under the conditions ofintensively growing water consumption and limited water resources formed. At that, difficulties
with water resources management in the basin grow inevitably. As early as the mid 1970s, underpractically complete flow regulation, water deficiency began to emerge in low-water years. To
optimize the management, in the mid 1980s an Automated Control Complex in Tashkent wasestablished as well as territorial control offices in Andizhan, Leninabad, Chirchik and Gulistan thatwere reorganized into "Syrdarya" Water Administration in 1987. Controlling water withdrawals
from rivers of the basin into canals in the republics, the Water Administration was charged withassisting to reduce water deficiency arising at that time in southern provinces of Kazakhstan andremoving obstacles in passing water to the Syrdarya river downstream areas and the Aral Sea. Thenthe emergence of such problems resulted in a need to organize, at the height of the growing season,
offices through involving a number of specialists, which helped to supply water to users and carryout measures for water passage, making great efforts. However, the effectiveness of actions takenby the Water Administration was found insufficient, since its functions, which were limited to watersupply control only, forbade directly managing the operation of structures being under thejurisdiction of the union republics. Therefore, BWO "Syrdarya" was founded in early 1988, which
was then given major hydroschemes and intakes for temporary use. Just in the first years of its
operation, BWO "Syrdarya" ensured observance of limited water supply and appropriate accountingof river water resources. The effectiveness of management and prompt regulation of water
resources improved, and water losses reduced to 1 km3. The water user republics began to regularly
receive water quantities foreseen by limits, and the required inflow to the Chardara reservoir wasprovided.
After the emergence of five sovereign states in Central Asia, the Syrdarya river turned into
an international watercourse according to the current terminology. A need for coordinating actionsof the riparian countries in its water resources management arose. Toward this end, an InterstateCommission for Water Coordination (ICWC) was established in early 1992, which leaded the workon water resources management in the Aral Sea basin. In the 1992 Alma-Ata Agreement, watersector leaders on behalf of the five Central Asian national governments proclaimed their interest in
strengthening and development of the cooperation in water use, further improvement of water
resources sharing, and their adherence to the joint transboundary water management principles.
1Special attention to environmental protection and the Aral problem was highlighted. BWO"Syrdarya" became an ICWC executive body to implement its decisions and directly manage water
resources in the Syrdarya river basin.
At present, BWO organizes water supply to ICWC member states, conducts the operation ofhydroschemes and intakes, and carries out measures for improving the environmental situation andcontrolling the quality of used water resources. BWO controls the regime in Naryn, Karadarya,
Chirchik and Syrdarya rivers from the Uchkurgan and Andizhan hydropower stations to theChardara reservoir.
BWO also exercises online dispatch control of water and energy (together with UDC“Energy”) resources in the Syrdarya river basin, and operational control over the observance ofwater withdrawal limits and electric power overflows.
Every month BWO presents ICWC members full information on present water resourcesuse.
Having transferred major interstate hydro structures to BWO for temporary operation, theSyrdarya river basin states assumed obligations to finance the BWO’s activities based on shareholding in proportion to water quantities used by them. At that, it was determined that allhydroengineering infrastructure objects of BWO, wherever they are located, directly or indirectly
ensure equitable water resources distribution between the countries. Therefore, each participant
makes a certain contribution to financing the operation and maintenance of any of them.
At the disposal of BWO, there are head intakes on the Syrdarya river, its major tributaries
and main canals as well as 260 km of interstate canals - Dustlik and Big Fergana Canal (BFC).
BWO operates 203 hydraulic structures, 21 of which are located on the main channels of the Naryn,
Syrdarya, Karadarya and Chirchik rivers. They have different flow capacity from 20 to 2500
m3/sec.
In addition, BWO has at its disposal 165 km of collector-drainage networks, 250 units ofmotor transport, machines and mechanisms, 35000 m2 of office and production premises, 3200 haof water protection zone.
BWO maintains accounting of water withdrawals from rivers and lower canals by 445
items. They include 21 head intakes to main canals, 36 fixed and 172 temporary pumping plants,
and numerous outlets from main canals. Water accounting on intakes from main canals is carriedout together with water authorities of Central Asian states.
Every year BWO control water resources amounting on average to 34 of 37 km3 or over
90% of the annual river flow in the Syrdarya basin that indicates the high responsibility of BWO toICWC member states, which have entrusted the implementation of their decisions to it.
To fulfill tasks given by ICWC, BWO always tries to support the management capacity at
the level that ensures solving given problems in a well-timed and high-quality way.
Since 2001, BWO has been introducing automated control and management systems withthe support of ICWC. At present, BWO has at its disposal ten of such systems on interstate
headworks and unique hydroschemes. Moreover, a data transmission system is being introduced onstructures in Fergana Valley. It will integrate the Uchkurgan and Kuyganyar hydroschemes, thehead intake at the Big Fergana Canal on the Naryn river, the Khakulabad distributor on the Feeder
Canal, structures on the Big Andizhan Canal, head and escape structures on the Akhunbabayev
Canal into one system of automated technological information transmission. The automation
enables to achieve high accuracy of regulation and keep assigned discharges, reduces theinaccuracy of water accounting, improves the quality and lightens the work of operating personnel.
Through a twofold increase in the accuracy of regulation and water accounting, reduction in nonproductive water losses is achieved that is especially important under the deficiency. Electronicmeans for information receipt, storage and transmission included in the automation provide an open
access to data of interest. At that information transparency is ensured, which eliminates doubts ofusers about water supply accuracy, favors raising the trust in BWO activities, and helps solve theissues of water resources management in a conflict-free and trusting climate.
2Over the last years BWO has been working on the creation of information systems,
considering that large bodies of different information are used in the management. The information
database of BWO “Syrdarya” launched in 2000 contains complete data on water availability anduse for a long period. The actual data on daily water discharges and levels of all hydraulicstructures as well as on water volumes in Naryn-Syrdarya cascade reservoirs form its basis
information. The natural inflow to reservoirs is represented beginning from 1911, but the lateral
inflow is accounted from 1948. Information input is carried out regularly during a day, as online
data come to the BWO’s Central Control Office in Tashkent.
Furthermore, BWO uses the System for hydrometeorological information transmission ofCentral Asia using meteor burst communication on the terminal, through which hourly information
on most important basic gauging stations in the Syrdarya river basin is continuously represented in
the Central Control Office in Tashkent. These data are irreplaceable in water-balance calculations,which form the basis for online water resources management and control over their distribution
among water users of neighboring countries. For example, information received from theUchkurgan gauging station enables to previously track flow characteristics while approaching tostructures and timely adapt the Uchkurgan hydroscheme and the complex irrigation system on BFC
to the operation under the conditions of rapidly changing power-generating regime of releases of
the Naryn cascade. The use of data on water discharges at the Kyzylkishlak gauging station
continuously transmitted by the system provides an opportunity for well-timed control over releases
through the Kayrakkum hydropower station, due to which at the height of the growing season an
equal water supply without detriment to users of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan according
to assigned limits is ensured.
Thus, the existing potential enables BWO to solve facing problems of water resourcesmanagement.
At the same time, today, being on the verge of acute water shortage, it is necessary to dwellon a question, which should probably be solved in the near future to keep economic security in all
the countries of the region.
It is a question of the operation mode for the Naryn-Syrdarya reservoir cascade.
Initially, the main function of the Toktogul reservoir was to provide long-term regulation of
the Naryn river flow in order to increase water availability for irrigated lands in an area of 918,000
ha, ensure growth in new lands by 400,000 ha in the Syrdarya river basin, and generate electric
power amounting to 4.1 billion kWh a year.
Under the long-term regulation, the operation mode for the Toktogul reservoir is made up
on the condition of guaranteed water supply to ensure sustainable crop yields. Its releases
increasing in low-water years and decreasing in high-water years amount in average water years to
9.43 km3 or three fourth of the annual volume in growing season, and no more than 2.85 km3 in
non-growing season. This makes it possible to keep as much water in the reservoir bowl as possible
and maintain high pressure. Thus, while satisfying irrigation needs, the largest energy output of
installed capacities is provided not only for a particular year, but also for the whole hydrologicalperiod of alternation of high and low water years. Moreover, a proper river regime adequate tonatural river hydrograph is arranged. Normal sanitary and environmental flows are maintained, andland-reclamation regime of areas adjacent to the river is conserved.
It is also necessary to note that since 1974 the Toktogul reservoir has not had an opportunity
to be filled a long time, and its volume has not exceeded 5-6 km3. When the long-term regulation
regime is kept, 9 successive average or 2 high water years are required for its filling. Over the highwater years 1987 and 1988 by August 1988, maximum volume of 19.5 km3 was achieved, and thereservoir entered the period of its total efficiency.
In 1988 when the Toktogul reservoir first filled, a gradual deviation from the long-term
regulation regime began. At the beginning, releases from the Toktogul reservoir increased in nongrowing season from 3.9 km3 in the hydrological year 1989/1990 to 5.1 km3 in 1991/1992. Thesechanges did not strongly affected water supplies, since they took place at the peak of high water3

availability in the year 1987/1988. The tendencies to increase of releases further intensified, and theToktogul reservoir is currently operated in power-generating regime.
As a result, the largest part of water releases and hydropower generation now take place inthe winter period, and releases from the reservoir in growing season are reduced for water
accumulation. Such a change in the operating schedule led to complete deformation of riverhydrograph, to floods in winter and to artificial water shortage in summer.
The rejection of the long-term regulation regime leads to the following negative
consequences:• Acute water deficiency for irrigation;• Increased winter releases, which flood the locality and settlements adjacent to the channel,
cause damage to whole infrastructure in the Syrdarya river downstream when it is
impossible to pass them to the Aral Sea due to ice conditions;• Loss of environmental sustainability of water systems on the Syrdarya river due tounderflooding and return water stoppage in winter and channel drying-up in summer;• Emergence of the environmental problem in Aydar-Arnasai lake system;• Possible deep drawdown of the Toktogul reservoir with the coming of sequence of lowwater years.
Considering the objective character of the reasons, which induced the Kyrgyz Republic tochanging the regime of the Toktogul reservoir, it was acknowledged that in order to prevent
negative consequences it is necessary to make compensations for water released from the Toktogul
reservoir.
At the same time, the practice of compensations according to the agreements of Kyrgyzstan
with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan established after 1995, enabling to satisfy needs of irrigatedagriculture in the region in growing season, does not concerns in non-growing season the Toktogul
reservoir regime made up based on electric power requirements of the Kyrgyz Republic. Under
natural conditions the average inflow to the Toktogul reservoir amounts to 11-12 km3 a year, and inrecent years 15 km3 a year is released from it, but it is clear without complicated calculations thatduring the last years the reservoir is inevitably being emptied. Foreseeing complications in theoperation of the cascade, the states agreed and fixed in the Agreement of 17 March 1998 principles
for making compensations to provide rational use of water-energy resources in the Syrdarya riverbasin. This document confirms that deliveries and regimes of hydroschemes will be determined inyearly interstate agreements. However, in practice, since then the difficulties with negotiations onpreparation of yearly agreements have not decreased but grown. The Toktogul reservoir still has
double load, which it is not able to carry. The situation fraught with deep drawdown of theToktogul reservoir arose by winter 1998 and in 2001. The current ending non-growing season
passed again for the regime of releases from the Toktogul reservoir without any limitations, as aresult of which up to 8.5-9 km3 will be released from it. The water level approached to the deadvolume mark by the beginning of the growing season, and only high-water growing season can savethe situation.
At the same time, deep drawdown of the Toktogul reservoir can be avoided throughfollowing the range, in which non-growing releases should be changed, and accordinglycompensating the Kyrgyz Republic for water retained in it in non-growing season. This will make itpossible to gradually accumulate water supplies in the reservoir and eliminate water losses anddamage caused by winter releases. BWO “Syrdarya” already offered an intermediate version of theregime for the Toktogul reservoir: releases of 6.5 km3 is kept in growing season, and releases of
4.9-5 km3 from the reservoir in non-growing season are recommended, at that the volume of theToktogul reservoir ensures pressure needed for installed capacity generation of 1200 MW. Thus, weproposed a technical decision principally different from those being implemented in recent years,
namely to compensate the Kyrgyz Republic for reduction of non-growing releases from theToktogul reservoir, and release water saved in this season on request in growing season. We many4

times brought our point of view to the attention of water authorities and Cabinets of Ministers ofCentral Asian states.
It is clear from the abovementioned that the operation mode for the Naryn-Syrdarya cascade
approved by ICWC is fulfilled with substantial deviations due to the lack of an agreement oncompensatory deliveries or non-fulfillment of the obligations stipulated in them. As a result, adiscord in the water-management activities in the region arises. The operation modes of reservoirs
are redesigned contrary to the schedules of ICWC, but it is not always possible to overcome theconsequences of such failures. Water is lost nonproductively, and damage is done to both wateruser sectors and the environment.
To solve this problem, in our opinion, water resources management and use should
completely be concentrated in the hands of ICWC, which has all necessary rights and powers
delegated by the countries of the region for that. Only ICWC should determine the implementationof the regional water-management activities and a strategy for interstate water resourcesmanagement in the Aral Sea basin.

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