However, he noted that global climate change is putting additional pressure on resources, affecting countries around the world.
According to international organizations, today more than 3.6 billion people experience water scarcity, and by 2050 this number could reach 5 billion. Rising temperatures, decreasing precipitation, and frequent droughts are becoming the norm. Extreme weather conditions are occurring more frequently.
“Global warming has a direct impact on the water cycle on Earth, and its consequences are felt everywhere—from powerful states to small mountainous countries like ours. Research shows that glacier melting is accelerating: over the past 70 years, the area of glaciers in Kyrgyzstan has decreased by 16 percent. This disappearance of glaciers leads to reduced river and reservoir flow, as well as worsening conditions for energy production,” the president noted.
He also drew attention to the fate of Lake Issyk-Kul, which is an important natural object and ecosystem.
“Since 1854, the water level in Issyk-Kul has dropped by almost 14 meters, with a volume of 85 billion cubic meters. The number of rivers flowing into the lake has decreased by more than three times: while in the 1950s and 1960s about 100-110 rivers flowed into the lake, now there are only 30-35. If this trend continues, the region will face serious ecological and socio-economic problems,” Japarov added.
In response to these challenges, the government is taking active measures to increase the inflow of water into the lake, including projects for the construction of new canals and hydraulic structures. “Water resources are also a matter of food security. Currently, 95 percent of the water used goes to agriculture, mainly for irrigation. Therefore, the rational use of every liter of water is a priority of state policy,” the president noted.
In recent years, the state has allocated 16 billion soms for the restoration of canals, construction of hydraulic structures, and modernization of irrigation infrastructure.
“Thousands of kilometers of canals have been updated, hundreds of facilities have been repaired, and modern technologies for measuring and distributing water are being implemented. We must treat water with care, avoid its irrational use, switch to modern irrigation methods, protect glaciers, and increase forest areas. Every drop saved today is our contribution to a sustainable future. We will continue to invest in the preservation and efficient use of water resources, as water is the strategic wealth of Kyrgyzstan and the key to the well-being of future generations,” Sadyr Japarov concluded.
