92nd Meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia

On 20 February, the 92nd meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) of Central Asia was held in Dushanbe. The meeting was hosted by the Tajik party of the Commission and chaired by the Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan, Mr. D. Juma.

ICWC members, including N. Nurjigitov, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan; D. Gendjiyev, Chairman of the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan; and Sh. Khamraev, Minister of Water Management of Uzbekistan attended the meeting. Advisor to the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Tajikistan Mr. U. Abdykerimov participated as an observer.

Heads of executive bodies - M. Makhramov (BWO Amu Darya), O. Kholkhujaev (BWO Syr Darya), D. Ziganshina, (SIC ICWC), U. Nazarov (ICWC Secretariat) - and invited persons also took part in the meeting.

The following items were on the agenda:

• Use of water withdrawal limits/quotas and operation regimes of reservoirs in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya River basins during the non-growing season 2025-2026.
• Progress in implementing tasks arising from the summits of the Heads of IFAS Founder States.
• Amendments and additions to the Regulations of the ICWC Secretariat.
• Agenda and venue for the next ICWC meeting.

On the first item, BWO Amu Darya and BWO Syr Darya reported. Both reports emphasized the critical importance of intergovernmental coordination and joint water management, particularly under conditions of decreased water availability. The approved operation regimes of reservoirs and observance of water withdrawal limits helped prevent critical disruptions of water supply and keep stable management of the region’s water system during the non-growing season 2025–2026.

On the second item, D. Ziganshina reported on ongoing work by water management organizations and executive bodies of ICWC as a follow up to proposals and initiatives voiced at the summits of the Heads of IFAS Founder States in Turkmenbashi (2018) and Dushanbe (2023).

Participants also addressed the issues related to institutional development, including proposed amendments and additions to the Regulations of the ICWC Secretariat.

Following comprehensive discussions, the parties adopted relevant decisions and signed the protocol.

The 93rd meeting of the ICWC will be held in Uzbekistan next year.