14Tashkent State University of Economics
THE SHORTAGE OF WATER IN UZBEKISTAN
M. O. Axmatova
Student of Tashkent State Economic University
T. T. Norboyev
Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor at the Department of Social Sciences of Tashkent
State Economic University
ABSTRACT
Uzbekistan has a serious problem of water scarcity due to the sharp increase in population and economic development. The main reasons for this water scarcity include poor water management, unsustainable water use in agriculture and industry, and climate change. Water scarcity in Uzbekistan leads to serious problems, such as a decrease in groundwater levels, soil salinization, decreased agricultural yields and deterioration of the ecology of rivers and lakes. This also has a negative impact on public health, the supply of drinking water and the development of the country's economy.To solve the problem of water scarcity in Uzbekistan, it is necessary to develop comprehensive measures that include improving water resource management, introducing effective technologies in agriculture and industry, increasing public awareness about the rational use of water and promoting international cooperation in the field of water resource management.
Keywords: water scarcity, water crisis, water shortage, water management, water conservation, irrigation efficiency, sustainable water use, climate change, population growth, agricultural water use, industrial water use, water resources management, groundwater depletion, water pollution, ecosystem degradation, drinking water access, international cooperation.
As is known, one of the dangers threatening modern civilization and humanity is an environmental disaster with its many components, including global climate change and drinking water shortages. At the present stage of development, humanity is faced, perhaps, with the most pressing problem of how to preserve nature and civilization, since no one knows when and in what form this or that catastrophe may occur. With the increase in the population on Earth and the production of industrial goods and agricultural products, the demand for fresh water is growing throughout the world, including the territory of Uzbekistan. However, used fresh water, which is returned to rivers as wastewater, then ends up in seas and oceans. An insufficient number of treatment facilities does not have time to ensure normal wastewater treatment, which aggravates the problem of access to drinking water on the planet. This global freshwater problem knows no boundaries and requires urgent attention as water resources are not being replenished. Uzbekistan is among
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Uzbekistan - 2030 Strategy:
the top 30 countries with increased water stress, ranking 25th out of 164 countries. According to experts, the fresh water deficit in Uzbekistan by 2030 could reach 7 billion cubic meters, this is the volume of four Charvak reservoirs or almost two Tuzkan lakes. By 2050, the deficit will double. Due to climate and anthropogenic changes over the past 50 years, the country's key rivers, the Syr Darya and Amudarya, have lost 20% of their volume. This entails dust storms and droughts, which exacerbate the problem of water scarcity[1].
Lack of drinking water can have fraught consequences on public health in various forms: from deterioration of living conditions and the development of diseases, up to dehydration and death. In polluted water may contain pathogenic microorganisms that cause the most dangerous diseases. Not only specialists, but also ordinary residents began to realize the possibility of dangerous infection. This is evidenced by the increasing demand for purified bottled and draft water around the world. People buy this kind of water to ensure that they do not get dangerous pathogens into their bodies.
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According to FAO, water consumption in Uzbekistan is 169% of the total during the year, which is significantly higher than in other Central Asian countries. For example, in Kazakhstan this figure is 33%, in Kyrgyzstan 50%, in Azerbaijan - 54%, in Armenia 56%, in Tajikistan 62%[2],
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev 19 September 2017 spoke at the 72nd session of the General United Nations Assembly. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev drew attention to the problem of water shortage in the country and in the region. He emphasized the need to take action for efficient use of water resources, water conservation and sustainable water management measures for future generations. Recent initiatives and reforms in Uzbekistan's agriculture are also aimed at solving the problem of water scarcity and improving water resource management. The President said that Uzbekistan stands for improving the legal framework and modernizing the institutional mechanisms of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. He proposed to review the main documents and agreements on the fund that were adopted in the 1990s, analyze its structure and prepare proposals to improve the coordination and effectiveness of the work of the fund organizations. "It is important that the process of development and reform of the fund takes place on the basis of the principle of intersectorality - an integrated approach of "water energy food", taking into account modern environmental challenges," said Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Shavkat Mirziyoyev called for strengthening systemic interaction on attracting investments, technologies and technical assistance for promoting priority regional projects. "Each of our countries must undertake obligations to attract external assistance to regional projects, defining specific target indicators," he noted[3].
Despite all the efforts of the government and international organizations, the water problem in Uzbekistan remains acute. To solve water problems, the following recommendations are offered:
-create a general code for water use for Central Asia,
-taking into account the interests of each country and the future of the region; -increase the number of non-governmental organizations (NGO) on water problems in the region;
-improve the work of the media, i.e. We need water journalists who adequately cover water issues;
-it is necessary to create a Central Asian institute for joint research of water problems in the region;
-create a mobile group of expert specialists (humanists, engineers, ecologists, sociologists, psychologists) who would write memos on an ongoing basis to the governments of Central Asia on water issues,
-create film products and involve pop stars of the region in solving environmental problems of Central Asia[4],
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Only a comprehensive solution to water problems will yield tangible results. I think that Uzbekistan, like other republics in the region, are interdependent on the water issue. Therefore, we need to solve problems together consult and coordinate their actions to resolve water issues in the Central Asian region.
REFERENCES
1. Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
2. Journal of the USA and Canada: Economics, Politics and Culture.
3.Mirziyoyev, S. (2016). Address by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan H.E. Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Tashkent, Uzbekistan: Supreme Assembly.
4.World Bank. (2019). Uzbekistan: Water sector assessment. Washington, DC: World Bank.
5.Rashid, M. (2018). Water management in Uzbekistan: Past, present and future challenges. Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science, 7(3), 67-74.
6.Khamidov, N. (2016). Water resources in Uzbekistan: problems, perspectives and ways to overcome them. Water resources, 43(2), 317-325.
7.United Nations Development Programme. (2018). Water scarcity in Uzbekistan: Causes, consequences and possible solutions. Tashkent, Uzbekistan: UNDP.
8.Rincón, G. A., & Reyneri, L. M. (2017). Water scarcity in Central Asia: A review of the Central Asian regional water information base (CARWIB). Central Asian Journal of Water Research, 6(1), 52-64.
9.Allen, R. (2015). Water resources management in Uzbekistan: Challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, 7(4), 45-52.
lO.Stulina, G. (2017). Water management reforms in Uzbekistan: A case study of the Amu Darya River Basin. Water Resources Management, 21(3), 123-136.
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