The UN General Assembly continued to hold debates “Water, Sanitation and Sustainable Energy in the Post-2015 Development Agenda” on 19 February 2014.
Speaking at the session, representative of Uzbekistan Ildar Shigabutdinov called for raising efficiency of use of water resources in Central Asia and expressed gratitude to the UN for serious attention to problems of Aral Sea, the UN News Center said.
Advisor of the mission of Uzbekistan at the UN Ildar Shigabutdinov said that one of the largest global ecologic catastrophes in new history is loss of Aral Sea. He said that with each year it is becoming apparent that problems of drying Aral Sea are impacting to nature-ecologic, social-humanitarian situation, gene pool, health of population and are becoming destructive and irreparable.
He said that the support of UN gives confidence that the countries of the region will not be left alone in the fight against this planetary catastrophe.
The Uzbek official said that his country pays great attention to sustainable development and ecologic security. In this connection, he said that Uzbekistan adopted a programme for environment protection for 2013-2014. Some US$2 billion will be directed to its implementation.
Ildar Shigabutdinov said that the rational use of water resources is actual problem in context of worsening of ecologic situation and defecit of clean water in the Central Asian region and world.
In this context, he expressed his concern with plans of neighboring states on construction of new large hydro power stations with huge dams.
Uzbek diplomat said that implementation of these plans, according to the specialists, will lead to infringement of natural water flow and can lead to dangerous ecologic and social-economic consequences. The plans will radically disrupt fragile water-ecologic balance in Central Asia, he added.
He noted that construction of these objects is planned at the districts, which are located in high seismic areas and this creates high risk of human-made catastrophe. Uzbek official noted inadmissibility of construction of hydro power stations at international water flows without preliminary agreement of the interested sides.
