According to Aquastat, Central Asia ranks among the global leaders in water consumption per capita. Stanislav Pritchin, head of the Central Asia Sector at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated during the roundtable «Climate Change and Water Use Issues in Central Asia.»
Pritchin pointed out the paradoxical nature of the situation.
«It would seem that we see a rather alarming water resources situation. But Aquastat says that in 2020, per capita water consumption in Kazakhstan per year was 1,310 cubic meters, or 3,600 liters per person per day. This figure is even higher in Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan — about the same level,» Stanislav Pritchin said.
And at the same time, according to other international estimates, the price of water in Central Asia is one of the lowest in the world.
He noted that one of the international organizations compiled a rating on the availability of water.
«Kazakhstan is among the top three countries with the cheapest water, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan are about the same — 10-14 cents per cubic meter. For comparison, in Russia it is 49 cents, and in developed countries — already dollars per cubic meter. And this basically explains why we have such a high level of consumption — water is practically free. People consider it as an unlimited resource that can be used and does not need to be saved. This is a key task — to change people’s mentality, there must be a serious program,» Stanislav Pritchin emphasized.
He added that increasing water prices is not only necessary to promote rational water use but also to make the water sector more attractive for private investment.
