According to Idrisov, the reduction of water reserves is not a unique problem for Kyrgyzstan but part of a global trend. "Every year we observe a decrease in water reserves; this is a worldwide situation," he noted.
The Ministry has outlined several key areas in its work. First of all, emphasis is placed on the reconstruction of old irrigation systems and reservoirs, many of which were built back in the 1950s and 1960s.
There is also a review of the structure of agricultural crops considering their water consumption. In conditions of water scarcity, the ministry advises farmers to switch to crops that are more drought-resistant and require less irrigation.
As part of water use planning for the current year, the use of 6 billion 303 million cubic meters of water is planned for the growing season, which is more than the previous year when 5 billion 767 million cubic meters were used.
To optimize the distribution of water resources, headquarters have been established at the regional and district levels to ensure balanced and rational use of irrigation water. Last year, water shortages were observed in the Chui and Talas regions, as well as in the southern regions of the country.
Reference
As of December 31, 2025, the volume of water in the Toktogul Reservoir reached 9,497 million cubic meters, which is 49% of its total capacity. This data is presented in the report on the reservoirs of the republic.
In the last month, the volume of water in the Toktogul Reservoir decreased by 1,133 million cubic meters. For comparison, at the end of 2024, this figure was 11,233 million cubic meters, which equaled 58%.
As of December 31, 2025, the Orto-Tokoy Reservoir recorded 169 million cubic meters of water, or 36%. Over the month, its volume increased by 74.6 million cubic meters. At the same time, a year earlier, the volume of water was 345 million cubic meters, corresponding to 73%.
Regarding the Kirov Reservoir, at the end of 2025, it contained 202 million cubic meters of water, or 37%. Over the month, the volume increased by 71 million cubic meters, while at the end of 2024, the reservoir had 422 million cubic meters of water, which was 77%.
In conclusion, despite the increase in reserves in the Orto-Tokoy and Kirov reservoirs in December, the total volume of water in all three reservoirs compared to the same period last year has decreased.
