Bishkek demanding money for rational use of water resources

The High Level International Conference on the implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, 2005-2015, is underway in Dushanbe, June 9-11. Speaking at the event, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Temir Sariev expressed protest saying Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan do not receive adequate compensation for rational use of water resources.  

The Kyrgyz prime minister said the downstream countries must understand that Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan do not build any utilities, namely water power plants, on the Transboundary Rivers to preserve the water balance in the region, though the countries regularly experience energy crises that hinders their economic development. Temir Sariev hinted that the downstream countries should appreciate such rational use of water resources by Dushanbe and Bishkek.

“We do not receive adequate compensation for preservation of water resources,” he said. The prime minister brought the negative example of Aral Sea that is due to disappear because of irrational use of the waters of  Amu Darya  and Syr Darya  rivers.