Kyrgyzstan increasingly experiences serious problems with water shortage for population and agriculture: President
Last Updated on November 25, 2023 1:04 pm
AKIPRESS.COM – As mountainous and landlocked country, the Kyrgyz Republic is most vulnerable to climate change in the Central Asian region, President Sadyr Japarov said at the summit of heads of state of the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) in Baku.
Centuries-old glaciers in the Tien Shan are irreversibly melting and disappearing every year, the President stressed.
“We are increasingly experiencing serious problems with water shortage for population and agriculture, hydropower sector is experiencing difficulties, weather and climate conditions are changing towards an increase in the average annual temperature in summer and winter,” he said.
The President said that Kyrgyzstan is actively working on the rational use of water and energy resources and development of energy saving.
“We have almost half of the region’s water resources, and although our hydropower potential is estimated at 142.5 billion kWh per year, at the moment we are using only 13% of this potential. According to the World Bank estimates, analysis and forecasting of the hydrological cycle, the introduction of modern and digital technologies and water-saving systems, development of renewable energy sources are extremely important for effective water resource management. Today we have all come to understand that the transition to a green economy, adaptation to climate change, and sustainable use of water and natural resources are dictated not only by global trends, but also by vital necessity,” he said.
The President cited UN Secretary-General Guterres, who said that “The green economy is the economy of the future.”
“To achieve green goals, our country plans to implement specific measures of transition to renewable energy sources. Construction of dozens of small hydroelectric power stations has already begun in Kyrgyzstan. An agreement was also reached on construction of Kambar-Ata HPP-1 with a capacity of 1,860 megawatts jointly with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Implementation of this major energy project will help ensure energy stability in all three countries. We are confident that implementation of these promising projects will provide not only Kyrgyzstan, but also other countries in the region with environmentally friendly electricity, strengthen energy security and contribute to stability of energy supply, water supply and irrigation systems,” he said.
In order to effectively preserve mountain ecosystems and glaciers, in 2022, at the initiative of Kyrgyzstan and Italy, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution “Sustainable Mountain Development”, the President reminded.
This document proclaimed 2023-2027 as the Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions.
The Global Action Plan has been developed with support of the Mountain Partnership of FAO, UN agencies and other international organizations.
The President believes that this plan can become a new format for close interaction between mountainous countries, international organizations and UN agencies to draw attention to the problems of mountainous countries and their solution.
“In the context of climate change, reduction and vulnerability of water resources, in order to ensure peace, stability and development of the region, we urge you to support the efforts of Kyrgyzstan for the sustainable development of mountainous regions and protection of the zone of formation of water resources in Central Asia,” the President concluded.