These are the water and irrigation figures we checked against primary sources while writing our blog. Every row has a source, and we update the page when new data comes out. Quote freely — link to the primary source or to this page. Most sources are in Russian or Uzbek.
How much water is in the rivers
Data from the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia (ICWC).
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amu Darya flow, 1 Oct 2025 – 31 Mar 2026 (non-growing season) | 77.1% of normal | ICWC bulletin No. 3 (116), April 2026 (in Russian) |
| Same period a year earlier | 101.4% of normal | ICWC bulletin No. 3 (116), April 2026 (in Russian) |
| Tuyamuyun reservoir storage, 31 Mar 2026 | 3,005 million m³ | ICWC bulletin No. 3 (116), April 2026 (in Russian) |
| Syr Darya withdrawal limit, Oct 2025 – Mar 2026 | 4.2 billion m³, of which Uzbekistan 3.347 billion | ICWC bulletin No. 8 (113), December 2025 (in Russian) |
We found no official Amu Darya figure for the 2026 growing season (April–September): the ICWC bulletins for May and June do not include it.
Water-saving technologies
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Area under water-saving technologies, 3 Feb 2026 | 2.6 million ha — 60% of irrigated land | Spot.uz, 3 Feb 2026 (in Russian) |
| Same area before 2017 | 19,000 ha | Spot.uz, 3 Feb 2026 (in Russian) |
| Target for 2028 | 3.5 million ha — 80% of irrigated land | Spot.uz, 3 Feb 2026 (in Russian) |
| Rollout plan for 2026 | 503,000 ha | Gazeta.uz, 5 Feb 2026 (in Russian) |
| Canal lining under Resolution PQ-79 of 5 Mar 2026 | 389 km; 480 of 600 billion soum; expected savings of 206 million m³ of water a year and better water supply for 158,400 ha | PQ-79, lex.uz (in Russian) |
Drip irrigation subsidy under Resolution PQ-47
Presidential Resolution PQ-47 of 5 February 2026. The amounts are in its annex; we checked them against the Uzbek text on lex.uz.
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit orchards | 6 million soum per ha | PQ-47 annex, lex.uz |
| Vineyards | 8 million soum per ha | PQ-47 annex, lex.uz |
| Cotton | 8 million soum per ha | PQ-47 annex, lex.uz |
| Cotton in Karakalpakstan and Khorezm | 12 million soum per ha | PQ-47 annex, lex.uz |
| Vegetables and potatoes, grain | 8 million soum per ha | PQ-47 annex, lex.uz |
| Rice (Khorezm and Syrdarya regions) | 8 million soum per ha | PQ-47 annex, lex.uz |
| Melons and gourds | 1.3 million soum per ha | PQ-47 annex, lex.uz |
| Fodder, oilseed, legume and medicinal crops | 2.5 million soum per ha; 8 million on livestock farms | PQ-47 annex, lex.uz |
| Intensive orchards and vineyards | up to 16 million soum per ha with a quality coefficient, from 1 Jan 2025 — a separate rule; the texts do not say how it combines with the PQ-47 amounts | PQ-344 of 30 Sep 2024, para. 8a (in Uzbek) |
| Land in areas with unstable water supply | 1.25 multiplier on the subsidy, from 2027 | PQ-47, para. 2 |
| Advance payment | 50% of the subsidy from 1 Oct 2026 if the system is built with own funds, without a bank loan; the rest after commissioning | PQ-47, para. 6 |
| Contractor warranty | at least 2 years; 5 years of service | PQ-47 |
Farmers can calculate their own amount with the Ministry of Water Resources calculator on my.gov.uz.
Water-use tax
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rate for irrigating farmland from 1 Jan 2026 | 107 soum per m³ — surface water and groundwater | Tax Code, Art. 445(1); Law ZRU-1108 of 25 Dec 2025 |
| Water-saving technology and a metering device | multiplier 0.5 | Art. 445(2) |
| One of the two | multiplier 0.7 | Art. 445(2) |
| Neither | multiplier 1.1 | Art. 445(2) |
| Groundwater without a metering device | five times the rate | Art. 445(6) |
| From 2027: land with stable water supply and no water-saving technology | double rate | PQ-47, para. 2 |
| From 2027: rice fields and fish farms without smart meters | double rate | PQ-47, para. 3; Decree PF-68 of 24 Apr 2026, para. 17 |
| From 2030: other farmland of legal entities without smart meters or water-saving technology | double rate | PF-68, para. 17 |
| From 1 Jan 2027: legal entities' land without laser levelling | district councils may apply a multiplier of up to 1.2 | ZRU-1108, Art. 12 |
| Fee to water management organisations for delivering water | abolished; exception: Dustlik district from 1 Jan 2028 | PQ-5 of 5 Jan 2024 as amended by PQ-302 of 14 Oct 2025 |
The texts do not say how the double rate combines with the Article 445 multipliers.
Data from our pilot
These are our own measurements and calculations on pilot fields in Samarkand region, not national statistics.
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| One hour of pump operation (60 m³/h), Olmazor orchard | 45,000 soum | actual cost on the pilot — article (in Russian) |
| Apple orchard water demand, July 2025 | up to 7.7 mm a day | FAO-56 calculation — article (in Russian) |
| Orchard NDMI, 19–29 July 2025 | 0.337 → 0.144: the orchard lost 57% of its leaf water | Sentinel-2 imagery — analysis (in Russian) |
We have no confirmed water savings on the pilot: the fields have no meters, and without a meter we call any saving an estimate.
How to cite
You can use these numbers without asking. Link to the primary source in the table or to this page: “Water and irrigation in Uzbekistan: 2026 numbers”, SUV AI — https://suv-ai.online/blog/en/water-and-irrigation-uzbekistan-numbers-2026.html. Each row has a “Copy” button that puts the figure, its source and the link on your clipboard. Found an error or an outdated figure? Email us — we will fix it and note the date.
Frequently asked questions
How much water does the Amu Darya carry in 2026?
In the non-growing season from 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026, 77.1% of normal according to ICWC bulletin No. 3 (116), down from 101.4% a year earlier. There is no official figure yet for the 2026 growing season.
What does irrigation water cost farmers in Uzbekistan in 2026?
The water-use tax is 107 soum per cubic metre (Tax Code, Article 445). With water-saving technology and a metering device it is multiplied by 0.5, with one of them by 0.7, with neither by 1.1; groundwater taken without a meter is taxed at five times the rate.
How large is the drip irrigation subsidy in Uzbekistan?
Under Resolution PQ-47: 6 million soum per hectare for orchards, 8 million for vineyards, cotton, vegetables, potatoes and grain, 12 million for cotton in Karakalpakstan and Khorezm; from 2027 a 1.25 multiplier applies in areas with unstable water supply. Intensive orchards and vineyards have had a separate rule since 2025 under PQ-344: up to 16 million soum per hectare with a quality coefficient.