Uzbekistan: Senator Issues Warning on Looming Nationwide Water Shortage

Uzbekistan can expect to experience severe water shortages this summer, a senior Uzbek legislator is warning.

Water shortages could hit the densely populated Ferghana Valley especially hard, with flows expected to be 20 percent to 35 percent less than last year, said Hayrulla Ibragimov, a senator and deputy chairman of the legislature's Agrarian, Agricultural and Ecological Committee. Western regions, including the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, could see water levels that are up to 60 percent lower than last year's.

Virtually every region in the country could expect to experience trouble with water supplies. Ibragimov called for the immediate introduction of conservation measures, especially in the agriculture sector. "Of course, a reason for optimism could be an increase [in water levels] early March due to rain. However, it's not possible to fully make up the volume," the CA-News.org news agency quoted the senator as saying.