Water Unites

withdrawal quotas for each republic. Both have had a tremendous impact on today’s water
usage patterns and policy strategies.
The quota system (see table on page 23) favours the irrigation needs of downstream
countries. Compared to the data on water formation, the quotas show that those republics
where most water resources originate-the Kyrgyz and Tajik SSRs-have the right to
use only a small amount. The downstream SSRs of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan
were entitled to use most of the water resources as most of the population of central
Asia lived here and most of the cotton production of the Soviet Union took place in those
republics. These quotas reflected historical and geographical conditions and actual needs.
However, after independence, this arrangement did not reflect the needs and interests of
the upstream countries, which now had to make best use of their resources to achieve national
development. Nevertheless, the water quotas established even regarding smaller rivers
are still in place. It is a highly political issue to assess and potentially re-negotiate them, as
this exercise may ultimately affect the end the socioeconomic stability of each state.
i Water resources and water usage in Central Asia
The territorial distribution of water resources in the Aral Sea Basin is very unequal. While the
lowlands of the basin are characterised by deserts and semi-deserts, precipitation increases in
the mountains, while the high mountains with their glaciers and permafrost areas serve as the
«water towers» of the region. On average, 43% of the annual discharge in the basin originates
in Tajikistan, 24% in Kyrgyzstan, and approximately 19% in Afghanistan. However, the pattern
of water usage is quite the opposite. The upstream mountain states use only about 17% of the
water, while downstream Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan use 83%. 19
Water withdrawal and availability
in the Aral Basin
km 3
per year
60
50
Water abstraction
Flow generation
40
30
20
Turkmenistan
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Tajikistan
Kyrgyzstan
10
0
19 Giese et al 2004. Due to lack of data, water abstraction and flow generation in Afghanistan is not included
in this figure.
Water management in Central Asia – the legacies of the past
27