On ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Joint Management and Rational Use of Transboundary Water Bodies
The Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated July 9, 2026 No. 345-VIII SAM.
To ratify the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Joint Management and Rational Use of Transboundary Water Bodies, concluded in Tashkent on November 15, 2025.
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
K. TOKAEV
Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Joint Management and Rational Use of Transboundary Water bodies
The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, hereinafter referred to as the "Parties",
Based on the provisions of the Treaty of Eternal Friendship between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan dated October 31, 1998 and the Treaty between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan on Allied Relations dated December 22, 2022,
Reaffirming its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and other universally recognized norms of international law,
Confirming the obligations of the States of the Parties in accordance with the Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Republic of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on cooperation in the Field of Joint Management of the Use and Protection of Water Resources of Interstate Sources dated February 18, 1992, the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes dated March 17, 1992 and the Convention on the Law of non-navigational uses of international watercourses dated May 21, 1997,
in order to prevent. limitation and reduction of transboundary impacts, as well as ensuring joint management and rational use of transboundary water bodies,
have agreed on the following:
Article 1
The terms used in this Agreement mean the following:
1) a transboundary water body is a watercourse or a permanent or temporary concentration of waters having signs of a water regime crossing the State Border line between the states of the Parties and/or flowing along it.;
2) water management facilities for interstate use - hydraulic structures and channels for interstate use through which water is supplied to water consumers on both Sides, as well as collectors for the discharge of return waters;
3) safe operation of water facilities – measures aimed at preventing the destruction of water facilities;
4) hydrological year — the annual cycle of development of hydrological processes in the period from October 1 to September 30 (the inter-vegetation period is from October 1 to March 31, the growing season is from April 1 to September 30);
5) transboundary impact - any significant harmful effects resulting from changes in the state of transboundary waters caused by human activity, the physical source of which is located entirely or partially on the territory of the State of one of the Parties, for the environment of the State of the other Party;
6) the Joint Commission is the Intergovernmental Kazakh-Uzbek Commission for the Joint Management and Rational Use of Transboundary Water Bodies, as well as water management Facilities for Interstate Use.
Article 2
1. The objectives of this Agreement are the joint management and rational use of transboundary water bodies, as well as the safe operation of water management facilities for interstate use.
2. Each Party uses the water resources of transboundary water bodies in this way. so as not to cause significant damage to the other Side.
3. The Parties, based on information from the hydrometeorological services of their States of the Parties, annually form a forecast of water resources and their distribution by April 10 for the growing season and by October 10 for the inter-vegetation period, the corresponding forecast is drawn up by the protocol of the joint commission. The allocation of water resources of transboundary bodies of water is carried out on the basis of fairness and transparency.
4. In order to ensure the water availability of transboundary water bodies, the Parties annually, on a systematic basis, in coordination with the Republic of Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, take measures to ensure the necessary water supply from the "Bahri-Tojik" reservoir and the Toktogul reservoir. At the same time, the distribution of water resources of transboundary water bodies will be carried out taking into account the water content and releases of water from the above reservoirs.
Article Z
1. The provisions of this Agreement apply to the Syrdarya, Chirchik, Keles, Ugam rivers, Dostyk (Dustlik) interstate canals, the Great Kelessky Main Canal, Zakh, Khanim. Achinau, Akkoyly, Northern Tashkent Canal, Upper Tashkent Canal and inter-farm channels B-12, B-15, B-24, B-25.
2. The Parties comply with the provisions of the Corrective Note to the Updated Scheme for the Integrated Use and Protection of Water Resources in the Syrdarya River Basin, approved by the minutes of the meeting of the Scientific and Technical Council of the Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources of the USSR dated February 29, 1984 No. 413, drawn up by the decree of the State Committee of the USSR Gosplan dated May 5, 1982 No. 11.
Article 4
The Parties shall closely cooperate in matters of joint management and rational use of water resources of transboundary water bodies, and the safe operation of water management facilities for interstate use. For these purposes, the parties:
1) keep records of water at border hydro posts (including with third countries and the BVI "Syrdarya") of transboundary water bodies, water management facilities for interstate and inter-economic use, as well as those located on the territories of the States of the Parties, and exchange information in accordance with the procedure approved by the joint commission;
2) ensure the coordinated distribution of water resources at transboundary water bodies and water management facilities for interstate use within the established limits of water intakes;
H) create a joint automated system for accounting for ox intake at transboundary water bodies and water management facilities for interstate and inter-farm use with online data transmission;
4) jointly implement measures to conserve water and reduce water losses at transboundary water bodies, as well as for the reconstruction, repair, operation and maintenance, automation and modernization of water facilities for interstate use, including through shared financing, exchange experience in the use of water-saving technologies;
5) monitor the use of water resources in the Syrdarya River basin and take joint measures to prevent their depletion;
6) cooperate on issues related to the prevention of excessive and irrevocable withdrawal of waters from the Syrdarya River basin;
7) develop and implement joint programs to prevent and reduce the effects of floods, floods, and droughts;
8) conduct regular joint surveys of water management facilities for interstate use (banks, protective dams and other structures);
9) take joint measures to prevent natural and man-made emergencies and eliminate their consequences at transboundary water bodies and water management facilities for interstate use;
10) conduct a joint study of the issue of reducing the negative impacts of transboundary water bodies and water management facilities of interstate use on the reclamation status of irrigated lands of the States of the Parties and, if necessary, take measures to reduce/eliminate the corresponding negative impact, including joint financing;
11) assist in resolving issues related to the simplified crossing of the Kazakh-Uzbek State border by personnel and equipment for the maintenance and operation of water facilities for interstate use;
12) take measures to use drainage waters (return waters) in the places where they are formed for irrigation.
Articles 5
1. The Parties shall cooperate on financing the costs of operation and repair of interstate channels specified in paragraph 1 of Article 3 of this Agreement.
2. The Parties undertake to prevent the back-up of collector and drainage waters in irrigated areas located along the line of the Kazakh-Uzbek State Border and adjacent territories. In the event of a back-up of collector and drainage waters, the Party from whose territory the back-up is carried out takes urgent measures to eliminate it.
3. The Parties, by mutual agreement, carry out planned mechanized cleaning works of collector and drainage systems in the border territories.
4. Each of the Parties is responsible for the proper operation of existing and under construction hydraulic structures located on the territory of its State.
Article 6
The competent authorities of the States of the Parties for the implementation of this Agreement are:
from the Republic of Kazakhstan - Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
from the Republic of Uzbekistan - the Ministry of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The Parties shall promptly inform each other through diplomatic channels about changes in the names or functions of the competent authorities.
Article 7
1. In order to implement the provisions of this Agreement, the Parties shall establish a joint commission.
2. The Joint Commission operates under the leadership of two co-chairs appointed by each of the Parties in accordance with the national legislation of the States of the Parties.
3. The working procedure of the joint commission is regulated by the Regulations adopted by the joint commission and approved by the Parties.
Meetings of the joint commission are held alternately in the territories of the States of the Parties twice a year. The decisions of the joint commission are formalized by the minutes of its meetings. The working language of the joint commission is Russian.
4. The Joint Commission, if necessary, forms expert working groups to resolve issues related to the implementation of the provisions of this Agreement.
Article 8
1. The main functions of the joint Commission are:
1) coordination of actions of the state bodies of the Parties for the implementation of the provisions of this Agreement;
2) provision of water supply through the Dostyk (Dustlik) canal and other interstate channels;
3) making decisions on the joint repair of irrigation systems of water facilities for interstate use;
4) organization of the development of joint schemes for the integrated use and protection of transboundary waters;
5) conducting additional consultations on the assessment of the impact of the planned measures on the environment within six months;
If requested by one of the Parties to the joint commission, for which the assessment of the planned measures presents particular difficulties, this period is extended by six months or more.;
6) other functions related to the implementation of the provisions of this Agreement.
Article 9
1. The costs associated with the organization and holding of meetings of the Joint Commission and meetings of working groups of experts shall be borne by the Party in whose territory the specified events are held.
2. The sending Party shall bear the costs of travel for participants in meetings of the Joint Commission and meetings of working groups of experts.
3. The Parties shall independently bear the costs that arise in the course of their implementation of this Agreement, within the limits of the funds provided for by the national legislations of the States of the Parties, unless a different procedure is agreed in each specific case.
Article 10
Disputes and disagreements on the interpretation and application of the provisions of this Agreement are resolved through negotiations and consultations between the Parties.
Article 11
By mutual agreement of the Parties, amendments and additions may be made to this Agreement, which are its integral parts, which are formalized in separate protocols and enter into force in accordance with the procedure provided for in Article 12 of this Agreement.
Article 12
1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the date of receipt, through diplomatic channels, of the last written notification that the Parties have completed the internal procedures necessary for its entry into force.
2. This Agreement is concluded for a period of 5 years and will be automatically extended for the next five years, unless either Party notifies the other Party in writing through diplomatic channels of its intention to terminate it 6 months before the expiration of the current five-year period. In this case, this Agreement shall terminate from the date of receipt of such notification.
Termination of this Agreement will not affect the implementation by the Parties of projects and programs initiated during its validity and not completed by the time of termination.
Done in Tashkent, on November 15, 2025, in two original copies, each in the Kazakh, Uzbek and Russian languages, all texts being equally authentic.
For the purposes of interpreting the provisions of this Agreement, the Parties will refer to the text in Russian.
For the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan
For the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan
President
Republic of Kazakhstan
Constitution Law Code Standard Decree Order Decision Resolution Lawyer Almaty Lawyer Legal service Legal advice Civil Criminal Administrative cases Disputes Defense Arbitration Law Company Kazakhstan Law Firm Court Cases Declaration Decree Order Resolution Decision Report Conclusion Statement Conclusion Convention Contract Memorandum Methodology Norms Note Rules Program Charter Charter Article Commentary Resolution Regulations Protocol Draft Program Rules Messages
