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“Building the canal is easy, but establishing an irrigation system is 10 times more difficult,” Bosch noted.
He pointed out the complexities involved in ensuring an efficient irrigation scheme, predicting that the Taliban would face substantial challenges. He estimated that without a well developed system, 30-40% of water diverted could be wasted.
Water prices are a major concern. In Uzbekistan and Turkmeni- stan, the cost of water provided by state utilities is between $1.20 and $1.60 per cubic metre, but its real value is around $16.
Bosch indicated that the canal project could sharply increase the prices. While measures are being taken to conserve water, there is no effective bridge between price development and resource management.
“The government of Uzbekistan is trying to establish relations with Afghanistan, but the Taliban is very tough. Afghanistan does not intend to make any agreements with Central Asia on this matter,” Bosch was also reported as stating.
Bosch pointed out the lack of a cooperative platform, which hampers effective negotiations.
Bosch mentioned that Uzbekistan has systems in place for efficient water use and profitability, and the focus should now be on maintaining efficient water supply.
The Qosh Tepa canal project was officially presented by the
Taliban government in March 2022. It starts from a point on the Amu Darya river in the Balkh region of northern Afghanistan.
Recent satellite images have shown the creation of an artificial reservoir along the canal, with Uzbekcosmos noting that the canal bank had not been eroded by the Amu Darya's flow, but rather due to rising groundwater levels.
In October last year, the Taliban assured Uzbekistan that the canal project would not cause it harm.
Nikolai Podguzov, chairman of the board of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), last year highlighted severe upcoming water shortages in Central Asia. These would be exacerbated by the construction of the canal, he said.
Speaking at a CIS meeting in Bishkek, Podguzov noted that Central Asia, already highly vulnerable to climate change, relies heavily on the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for water, with 92% used for irrigation.
The Qosh Tepa is expected to reduce water flow to downstream countries like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan partly due to its low technological standards, causing substantial water losses through leakage.
Even without the canal, Central Asia was projected to face a water deficit of five to 12 cubic kilometres annually by 2028- 2029, threatening food, drinking water and energy supplies.
The Caspian Sea to shrink by a third due
to global warming
Seymur Mammadov in Baku
The Aral Sea has gone. The Caspian Sea may be next. Global warming will see its level fall by up to 18 metres and reduce its surface area by a third thanks to global warming. Azerbaijan’s capital will no longer be a port if that happens and the Northern Caspian will disappear entirely.
The sea level in the Caspian has been falling at an alarming rate. Shippers are concerned as ports are already having to be dredged as they become shallower each year. Although fluctuations in the level of the largest inland body of water on the planet are quite natural, many scientists say that the recent drop in the Caspian Sea level is unprecedented.
In ancient times, the Caspian Sea splashed at the foot of the iconic Maiden Tower, which still stands on the seafront in Baku. For the last two hundred years it hasn't returned to that level.
According to several European scientists, by the end of the 21st century, the Caspian Sea level may drop by 9-18 metres. As a result, Baku will no longer be a port, the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay in Turkmenistan will disappear. In the northern part of the sea water will recede to expose vast new fields of land.
In a study published by the scientific journal Communica- tions Earth & Environment, scientists attempted to deter- mine how global warming will affect all major lakes and continental seas of the world, including the Caspian Sea. Based on data from recent years, scientists have created a computer model of the Caspian and other large lakes world- wide. According to their calculations, the Caspian Sea will suffer the most. This is because the water from its surface will evaporate faster, and in the northern part of the reservoir, the ice cover will disappear in winter. The level of the Caspian Sea is heavily dependent on changes in the average annual
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