Water resources management and sustainable development of agriculture became one of the topics of the second Tashkent International Investment Forum

The second Tashkent International Investment Forum is being held in the capital, within the framework of which a panel session was held on the topic “Integrated Water Resources Management: Sustainable Development of Agriculture, Ensuring Food Security in Central Asia,” the MIIT press service reports.

The event was moderated by Matilda Dimovska, Permanent Representative of the UN Development Program. Also, the speakers of the session were: Deputy Head of Mission, Head of the Cooperation Department of the Embassy of Switzerland Rachel Besh, First Deputy Minister of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan Azimjon Nazarov, Managing Director and Partner of Boston Consulting Group Igor Alekseev, Partner of Synergy Consulting Chetan Kapur, Vice President of ACIR South Europe Egor Zhunyaev and others.

According to experts, the growing demand for water resources by 2040-2050. will inevitably lead to structural changes in the global economy. According to a report by the World Meteorological Organization, by 2050 more than 5 billion people on Earth will experience water scarcity to one degree or another. The panel session participants stressed that water scarcity can become a serious problem for the development of the agricultural sector and the economy as a whole.

The experts discussed the importance of integrated water resources management for sustainable agricultural development and food security in Central Asia. Measures to be taken for the effective implementation of integrated water resources management mechanisms were also discussed.

Deputy Minister of Water Resources of Uzbekistan Azimjon Nazarov noted that 80% of water resources come from other countries, and only 20% is generated in our country. And the infrastructure that was created 30-40 years ago requires serious modernization. As the supply of water resources decreases, and the number of new facilities increases, population growth, which requires a new quantity and quality of water resources. And according to our calculations, by 2030 we will lack 7 billion cubic meters of water. Rational use of water is necessary.

Igor Alekseev, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group, will confirm this by making the following suggestions:

“If we collect all the initiatives in Uzbekistan on water conservation, then investments of about 19 billion dollars will be required: 4 billion for pumping stations and about 6 billion for subsidies to economic agents for the introduction of water-saving technologies. Together with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Water Resources, we have developed a model of the canal system with an assessment of the function of these canals. And most importantly – the economic supply of water in a particular area.

According to our data, the priority should be measures aimed at additional volumes of water resources in the regions of the country. These are new dams and new reservoirs.

In particular, the participants of the panel session stressed the importance of creating the right legal and institutional conditions for the implementation of such mechanisms. The event also discussed measures that will ensure the sustainable development of the agricultural sector. Experts noted that it is necessary to improve access to water resources and improve technologies and methods of using water in agriculture.

The panel session has become an important part of the forum and an excellent platform for the exchange of experience and knowledge between experts and representatives of government agencies involved in water management in Central Asia. The event made it possible to develop new ideas and recommendations that will help ensure the sustainable development of the agricultural sector and food security in the region.