REGULAR 78th MEETING OF THE INTERSTATE COMMISSION FOR WATER COORDINATION IN CENTRAL ASIA
For the first time, the regular meeting of ICWC was held by video conferencing on the 10th of April 2020.
The ICWC members, including Vice-Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan Mr. Sergey Gromov, Minister of Water Management of Uzbekistan Mr. Shavkat Khamraev, Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan Mr. Jamshed Shoimzoda, Chairman of the Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan Mr. Guyzgeldi Baydjanov, as well as heads of ICWC executive bodies and invitees participated in the meeting.
The agenda included the following items:
1. Results of the use of water withdrawal limits and operation regimes of the reservoir cascades in the Syrdarya and Amudarya River basins for the non-growing season 2019-2020.
2. Approval of the country water withdrawal limits and operation regimes of the reservoir cascades in the Syrdarya and Amudarya River basins for the growing season 2020.
3. On measures taken by the parties to ensure additional water discharge from reservoirs during the growing season in the Syrdarya basin.
4. Progress on implementation of proposals and initiatives voiced at the Summit of the Heads of IFAS founder-states in the city of Turkmenbashi.
5. Agenda and venue of the next 79th meeting of ICWC.
6. Supplementary items
The meeting was opened by the Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan Magzum Mirzagaliyev. Further, ICWC members made welcoming remarks and presented the delegation members. They expressed their concern about the current complicated hydrological situation. They also noted the importance of teamwork and maintaining continuous cooperation in the coming growing season.
The participants discussed the results of the past non-growing season 2019-2020 for the Syrdarya and Amudarya River basins.
Following the talks, country water withdrawal limits and forecast operation regimes of the reservoir cascades in the Amudarya and Syrdarya Rivers basin were approved for the growing season 2020. ICWC members have agreed additionally to consider and negotiate by the end of May the operation regimes of reservoir cascades for the growing season 2020 in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins on the base of more accurate water forecasts.
Under the third item of the agenda the participants reviewed progress on implementation of proposals and initiatives voiced at the Summit of the Heads of IFAS founder-states in Turkmenbashi.
The next meeting of ICWC is to be held in Turkmenistan; the date will be negotiated in due course.
The minutes of the meeting will be approved and signed by the Parties by voting.
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