On 14 August 2025, the 90th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC), comprising Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, took place in the resort town of Borovoe, Republic of Kazakhstan. Participants addressed key issues of water resource management in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya river basins, as well as progress in implementing initiatives from the heads of state of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS).
The meeting was chaired by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Kanat Bozumbayev. The ICWC included ministers and senior representatives from the water management agencies of the region: Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov; Tajikistan’s First Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Jamshed Shodi Shoimzoda; Turkmenistan’s Chairman of the State Committee for Water Management and governor of Lebap province, Durdy Genjiev; Uzbekistan’s Minister of Water Resources, Shavkat Khamraev. Kyrgyzstan was represented by its Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Dastan Stanbekovich Dyushekeev.
The session also saw participation from heads of ICWC executive bodies, directors of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya Basin Water Organizations (BWOs), and invited experts from the IFAS Executive Committee and national ministries.
Opening the meeting, Kanat Bozumbayev noted that the current growing season is unfolding under extremely challenging conditions, with forecasts of worsening climate and water scarcity in the coming years demanding coordinated actions and strict adherence to agreements among Central Asian countries.
“The volume of the Shardara Reservoir has fallen below long-term averages. This is no longer just numbers—it’s a real threat to water supply in the lower reaches. We must acknowledge that decisions made within the ICWC framework are not being fully implemented, leading to serious difficulties in regulating water regimes. I want to emphasize: the times demand greater urgency from us. We must not only discuss and plan but also take concrete measures. I am confident that our partnership will continue to develop in a spirit of trust and mutual understanding, and our joint efforts will yield tangible results for our countries and the entire region,” Bozumbayev stated.
The agenda included four main items. On the first issue—water withdrawal limits and reservoir operation regimes for the 2025 growing season—participants reviewed reports from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya BWOs. The meeting noted the reports and highlighted the need for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to jointly establish a gauging station at their border to accurately measure water inflow to the Shardara Reservoir by early 2026. Additionally, the parties agreed to synchronize the operations of national hydrometeorological services to improve forecasting and preparation for future seasons.
The second agenda item focused on progress in implementing tasks from the summits of IFAS founding states in Turkmenbashi (2018) and Dushanbe (2023). The commission acknowledged the effectiveness of water management agencies and ICWC executive bodies. Members were tasked with regularly updating on the progress of these initiatives at future meetings.
The third item addressed additional topics, including the activities of the working group on improving IFAS’s organizational structure and legal framework.
Finally, participants decided that the 91st ICWC meeting would be held in Turkmenistan, with details to be finalized later. The proposed agenda for the next meeting includes reviewing the results of the 2025 growing season, approving limits for the 2025–2026 inter-growing season, continuing discussions on IFAS tasks, addressing additional issues, and planning the 92nd meeting.
Established in 1992, the ICWC remains a key platform for resolving water-related issues in the region, promoting sustainable development and preventing conflicts. ///nCa, 19 August 2025