An important initiative to modernize the water resources management system has been put forward in Central Asia. By September 2026, it is planned to establish a special working group to create a unified automated water accounting system for the Syr Darya river basin flow.

This decision was made at the 94th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) held in the city of Turkistan. The meeting was attended by the heads of water management agencies of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan attended the meeting as an observer.

The new initiative aims to expand the use of digital technologies in determining and distributing river water volumes in Central Asia. According to the plan, ultrasonic sensors, water level measuring devices, and hydrological stations with automatic data transmission will be installed at the main hydraulic structures of the Syr Darya.

According to experts, such a system will make it possible to more accurately determine the volume of water flow and receive data in real time. This will strengthen control over the distribution of water resources and help prevent potential misunderstandings between states.

The digital monitoring system can also be of great importance for agriculture. The regular collection of information on the state of the river and reservoirs will make it possible to pre-assess drought risks, forecast the state of water supply, and take necessary measures in a timely manner during the growing season.

Furthermore, it will become possible to more quickly adjust the volume of water released from reservoirs depending on the state of water resources. This will create conditions for the efficient use of water during low-water periods and reduce losses during floods.

At the 94th meeting, issues related to the use of resources in the basins of not only the Syr Darya, but also the Amu Darya river, were discussed. The parties agreed on the operating modes of the rivers' water management facilities and the respective water use limits.

The successful commissioning of the automated water accounting system on the Syr Darya could mark the beginning of a new stage in the digitalization of water resources management in Central Asia. In the future, this experience could also be applied in the Amu Darya river basin, enabling a broader scale digitalization of the region's water resource monitoring system.

The next, 95th meeting is expected to be held in Turkmenistan. Water conservation, the exchange of hydrological information, and the development of a unified regional water monitoring system are expected to be among the main topics on the agenda.