Energy – Water Nexus in Central Asia

IJsbrand H. de JongLead Water Resources Specialist

World Bank, Almaty

Energy-Water Nexus• Upstream countries rich in hydropower, downstream countries rich in

hydrocarbon. Irrigation concentrated in downstream countries

• Independence has brought electricity deficits in winter in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and water shortage in summer for irrigation in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan

• Central Asia among the most energy and water intensive regions in the world.

• Irrigation inefficiency is not free

• The incentive framework for improving irrigation efficiency is unfavorable:

• At farm and scheme level, water use is hardly being charged, and these charges are not volumetric.

• At regional level, the perception of limited water withdrawal security, absence of monitoring, and disregard of return flows provide an incentive for increasing withdrawals and reducing return flows. Irrigation inefficiency is used as a “water bank” to meet future demand.

Energy-Water nexus 1: CASA-1000

• Transmission of 1,300 megawatts of excess summer hydropower energy from Kyrgyz Republic (Toktogul) and Tajikistan (Nurek) to meet peak electricity demand in summer in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

• Total project cost is US$ 1.17 billion, with WB, IsDB and USAID

• Exporting surplus electricity during the summer will help the two countries generate revenues to purchase energy during the winter

Energy-Water nexus 2: Toktogul winter releases

• Winter releases from Toktogul cause flooding in winter and water shortage in summer in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

• Countries are taking measures to mitigate these impacts:• Groundwater use in the Fergana Valley

• Koksaray reservoir in Kazakhstan

Koksaray

Shardara

Toktogul

Kayrakkum

Fergana valley

Спасибо!