UNDP Uzbekistan Water Resources

There are two river basins in Uzbekistan that form the Aral Sea basin. In addition to this, there are 94 major aquifers, and sporadic rainfall that is unevenly distributed, occurring mainly in the mountainous regions during the winter months. The water resources that are available are in short supply in much of Uzbekistan.n 1994, the agricultural sector contributed some 36 percent to GDP. In 1996, it employed about 33 percent of the total economically active population. The contribution of crop production to GDP was about 20 percent from irrigated crops and 2 percent from rain-fed crops. Cotton, called 'white gold' in Uzbekistan, vegetables and fruits are the country's principal exports. Uzbekistan is one of the world's largest cotton exporters.

Irrigation in Uzbekistan started more than 2,500 years ago in the seven natural oases. At the beginning of the 20th century, about 1.2 million hectares were irrigated in Uzbekistan. Large-scale development started in the late 1950s, when the Soviet Union decided that Uzbekistan should specialize in the production of cotton. Modern irrigation techniques were then developed in the Hunger steppe in the central part of the country. By 1994, irrigation covered almost 4.3 million hectares, or about 82 percent of cultivated land.

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• Uzbekistan
• Water

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