Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The capital is hosting the second Tashkent International Investment Forum, which included a panel session on "Integrated Water Resources Management: Sustainable Agricultural Development, Food Security in Central Asia".

The event was moderated by Matilda Dimovska, UNDP Permanent Representative. Other speakers of the session were Rahel Boesch, Deputy Head of Mission, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland; Azimjon Nazarov, First Deputy Minister, Ministry of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Igor Alekseev, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group; Chetan Kapoor, Partner, Synergy Consulting; Egor Zhunyaev, Vice President, ACIR Southern Europe, and others.

According to experts, the growing demand for water resources by 2040-2050 will inevitably lead to structural changes in the global economy. According to the report of the World Meteorological Organization, by 2050, more than 5 billion people on Earth will experience water shortages of varying degrees. The panel highlighted that water scarcity may become a serious problem for the development of the agricultural sector and the economy as a whole.

The experts discussed the importance of integrated water resources management for sustainable agricultural development and food security in Central Asia. They also discussed measures to be taken for the effective implementation of integrated water resources management mechanisms.

Azimjon Nazarov, Deputy Minister of Water Resources of Uzbekistan, noted that 80% of water resources come from other countries and only 20% is generated in our country. And that infrastructure, which was created 30-40 years ago, needs serious modernization. Since the stock of water resources is decreasing, and the number of new facilities, population growth is increasing, which requires a new quantity and quality of water resources. And according to our calculations, we will lack 7 billion cubic meters of water by 2030. Rational use of water is needed.

Igor Alekseev, managing director and partner, Boston Consulting Group, will confirm this by making the following suggestions:

"If you collect all initiatives in Uzbekistan on water saving, it would require investments of about $19 billion. of which $4 billion for pumping stations and about $6 billion for subsidies to economic agents for implementation of water saving technologies. Together with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Water Resources, we have developed a canal system model with assessment of functions of these canals. And most importantly, the economic supply of water in a particular area.

According to our data, priority should be given to measures aimed at additional volumes of water resources to the country’s regions. This includes new dams and new reservoirs.

In particular, participants of the panel session stressed the importance of creating the right legal and institutional conditions for the implementation of such mechanisms. The event also discussed measures that would ensure sustainable development of the agricultural sector. Experts noted that there is a need to improve access to water resources and to improve technologies and methods of water use in agriculture.

The panel session was an important part of the forum and an excellent platform for exchange of experience and knowledge between experts and representatives of government agencies involved in water management in Central Asia. The event generated new ideas and recommendations to help ensure sustainable development of the agricultural sector and food security in the region.