Kyrgyzstan will be unable to discharge sufficient scope of water for irrigation purposes to downstream countries as Kambar-Ata-1 hydropower plant has not been built yet, President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambaev said on May 21 at the meeting with representatives of the CIS, Baltic states and Georgia.
Kyrgyzstan has to use water in winter time instead of its accumulation for power generation now, he explained.
Kambar-Ata-1 hydropower plant is needed for Uzbekistan. “It will become more in need in future. President Nazarbayev realized that and said Kazakhstan would join Kambar-Ata-1 project,” Atambaev said.
Atambaev noted he met with the Vice Prime Minister of Uzbekistan and passed the Kambar-Ata project documents for the President of Uzbekistan. “It seems to me that he [President of Uzbekistan] is not told all information, he is told various fears. We want Uzbekistan to join this project. Kambar-Ata-1 is the project for Fergana Valley. It is necessity for Kazakhstan. We will have to build it,” the President of Kyrgyzstan went on saying.
He expressed hope specialists of Uzbekistan will examine the project and will properly report to the President about its advantages. “He is a wise person and he will take a decision. Kambar-Ata should be built, the sooner, the better, since we may have dry hydrological cycle,” he said.
The thematic debate of the UN General Assembly on “sustainable development and climate change: practical solutions in the Energy-Water nexus” took place on May 16 in the UN Headquarters, in which delegation of Uzbekistan took part.
The delegation of Uzbekistan said development of small hydropower with high energy effectiveness and lowest environmental impact is needed in Central Asia. The delegation referred to experts and international organizations saying it is much safer to focus on small hydropower plants than on big dams and hydropower plants.
The delegation of Uzbekistan also spoke for use of renewable energy sources. The country has started practical steps in this regard already.
Uzbekistan intends to expedite transition to the green economy through organization of the international conference on further development of renewable energy sources in the second half of 2013.
31.05.2013
