Approved by the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan of July 30, 2025 , No. ZRU-1076
This Code governs the relations in the field of rational use and protection of waters, water objects, water management objects and lands of water fund.
The main objectives of this Code are:
achievement and maintenance of steady providing with water of the population, industries of economy and ecological systems;
rational management and use of waters taking into account climate change and water conservation;
protection of waters from pollution, contaminations and depletions;
prevention and liquidation of harmful effects of waters;
improvement of condition of water objects;
development of economic mechanisms in the field of the water relations, including public-private partnership;
protection of the rights and legitimate interests of legal entities and physical persons in the field of the water relations;
development of interstate cooperation in water questions.
The water legislation consists of of this Code and other acts of the legislation.
If the international treaty of the Republic of Uzbekistan establishes other rules, than those which are provided by the water legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan then are applied rules of the international treaty.
In this Code the following basic concepts are applied:
hydraulic engineering constructions - dikes of water storage basins, dikes on the rivers, Sai, channels and collectors which are partitioning off constructions on beds of the rivers, water intaking, water throughput, water waste and bank protection constructions, hydroelectric power stations, pumping points;
underground waters - waters of underground water objects;
surface water - waters of superficial water objects;
drinking water supply - supply of drinking water to consumers through networks of drinking water supply and (or) transport;
channels - water management objects which intend for supply with water from source to border of water users;
collector and drainage waters - prosachivayemy ground waters and exhaust waters;
collector and drainage network - the water management object intended for collection and removal of prosachivayemy ground waters and exhaust waters;
mineral waters - the waters containing dissolved salts, microelements, and also some biologically active components making positive medical impact in structure;
sewage - the waters used on domestic, production or other needs and contaminated at the same time by the additional impurity which changed their initial chemical composition and physical properties, and also the waters formed as a result of loss of atmospheric precipitation, which are flowing down from the territory of settlements and industrial enterprises;
zone of sanitary protection - the territory with the protection mode, adjacent to the operated, designed, under construction and reconstructed projects intended for the drinking, household and medical and improving purposes, organized for ensuring their sanitary and epidemiologic reliability;
coastal strip - the territory with high security within the water protection zone along or around the natural superficial water objects and also used, the designed, under construction and reconstructed water management projects, organized for ensuring proper operation of these water management objects, their reconstruction, repair and recovery, and also rational management and accounting of water resources;
the organization of supply of water - the operational organization of water economy and (or) other legal entity responsible for operation and the maintenance of water management objects given the right of fence and delivery of water to water users on contractual basis;
harmful effects of waters - washout, destruction, flooding, flooding, instruction, bogging, salinization of certain objects and other events resulting from negative impact of waters;
the water protection zone - the natural territory adjacent to beds or water areas of water objects in which for the purpose of maintenance of proper sanitary condition, the prevention of pollution and contamination of waters, and also instruction products of erosion of soils of water objects, creation and maintenance of the favorable water mode set the special mode of use and conducting economic activity;
water object - natural (streams, Sai, the rivers and others) and artificial (open and closed channels, and also collector and drainage networks) waterways, natural (lakes, the seas, underground water fields and the water-bearing horizons) and artificial (water storage basins, selevodokhranilishch, ponds and others) reservoirs, and also springs and other objects in which waters are constantly or temporarily concentrated and the characteristic forms and signs of the water mode are had;
water intake quota - the water amount allocated to the organizations of supply of water and water users for several years;
water intake limit - the water amount allocated for the vegetative and autumn and winter periods to the organizations of supply of water and water users depending on the level of water content of water objects (in percentage terms from water intake quota);
protection of water objects - system of the actions directed to preserving and recovery of water objects;
water economy - the economy industry covering studying, accounting, management, use, protection of water resources and water objects, and also fight against harmful effects of waters;
the water mode - change of quality, level, speed of current, expense and amount of water in unit of time;
the water servitude - the right of limited use of water object or its part, including the water protection zones;
irrigating network - the water management object delivering water from channels and other water objects on the irrigated areas of water users, and also on other objects provided to water users in target use;
water fund - set of all waters concentrated in water objects;
the earth of water fund - the lands occupied with superficial water objects and water management objects and branch strips on coast of water objects;
the water user - the legal entity or physical person using water resources for own needs;
water use - use of water resources by legal entities and physical persons for satisfaction of own needs;
water resources - the underground and surface water of water objects used or available to use;
water management object - hydraulic engineering constructions, and also the related roads, buildings, power lines and other infrastructure intended for implementation of water management activities;
water management service - the service rendered to the water user in the field of water economy on contractual basis;
the operational organization of water economy - the organization of the Ministry of water economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan equipped with functions of maintenance and operation of water management objects;
exhaust waters - emergency dumpings of water into water objects or land relief from channels and irrigating networks, and also dumpings of water from the irrigated lands as a result of their irrational use;
cross-border waters - any surface or underground water crossing borders of two and more states or located on such borders;
cross-border water objects - the water objects crossing borders of two and more states or located on such borders;
cross-border impact - any considerable harmful effects resulting from change of the condition of cross-border waters caused by activities of the person which physical source is located fully or partially in the area which is under jurisdiction of this or that coastal state for the environment of the area which is under jurisdiction of other coastal state.
Objects of the water relations are:
water objects or their part or water resources;
water management objects;
earth of water fund.
Subjects of the water relations are:
specially authorized state bodies, including republican executive bodies;
executive bodies on places;
operational organizations of water economy;
organizations of supply of water;
water users;
self-government institutions of citizens and other non-state organizations.
The basic principles in the field of the water relations are:
requirements satisfaction of the population, industries of economy and ecosystems in water due to purposeful and complex use of water resources;
first-priority providing the population in necessary amount and guaranteed quality of water for drinking and economic domestic needs;
priority of protection of water objects in case of their use;
providing favorable condition of the water ecosystems and conditions promoting public health care;
equality of subjects of the water relations;
water economy, rational use and encouragement of its preserving;
ecosystem approach to water resources management;
the integrated water resources management, the coordinated management of surface, underground and returnable water;
harmonization of the basin and administrative-territorial principles of management and use of water resources;
ensuring adaptation of the sphere of water economy to climate change;
prevention, restriction and reducing pollution of water;
implementation of the principles of market economy and public-private partnership in water economy;
ensuring openness, transparency of process of management of water resources and involvement of the public in this process;
encouragement of scientific and innovative activities in the water relations;
compensation of the damage caused by violation of the water legislation;
protection of the rights and legitimate interests of subjects of the water relations.
Depending on water intake method from water object, influence on condition of water and water objects water use is subdivided into general and special water use.
Belong to the categories of water objects:
superficial and underground water objects of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
the cross-border superficial and underground water objects located in the Republic of Uzbekistan and crossing its territory.
Natural and artificial waterways and reservoirs, and also springs and other objects, their beds, bottom and coast belong to superficial water objects.
Treat underground water objects:
fields of underground waters and the water-bearing horizons, and also their zones of wedging out in subsoil or on the Earth's surface;
lines of the water mode and other forms of concentration of waters in subsoil having borders.
Water objects can be in the isolated or joint use.
Water object is provided to the operational organizations of water economy and water users in use for one or several purposes in case of observance of the provided requirements and conditions.
Water object is transferred to use according to the procedure, established by the legislation in coordination with bodies of water economy, bodies of sanitary and epidemiologic wellbeing and public health, bodies of ecology, environmental protection and climate change, bodies of the mining industry and geology on accessory.
Use of water object for dumping of sewage is allowed only in case of observance of ecological and health requirements and conditions.
Water objects can be provided in use for one or several purposes at the same time.
Water objects are transferred to legal entities and physical persons fully or partially for the isolated use of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan or other authorized state body.
Water object of joint use is the water object which is not provided in the isolated use.
Water users, in case of water intake from water object of joint use, shall consider mutual interests, not complicate realization of right to use water and not cause to each other harm.
Water objects belong to water objects of the protected natural territories:
national parks;
complex (landscape) wildlife areas;
natural parks;
state nature sanctuaries;
the territories for preserving, reproduction and recovery of natural objects and complexes;
the protected landscapes;
the territories for management of separate natural resources;
state biospheric wildlife reserves;
national parks;
the interstate protected natural territories;
other protected natural territories.
Water is national wealth, is subject to rational use and is protected by the state.
The water objects located in the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan are in property of the Republic of Uzbekistan, except as specified, provided by this Code and other laws, and also international treaties.
Natural change of beds of the rivers and other water currents does not involve the termination of the property right of the Republic of Uzbekistan to these water objects.
On behalf of the Republic of Uzbekistan the property right to water objects is performed within the powers by state bodies and executive bodies on places.
Water management objects can be in state-owned property (republican, municipal property) or private property (property of citizens, farmer and Dehkan farms, and also other legal entities who are not belonging to the state).
The water management objects of the Republic of Uzbekistan located in the territory of other states according to international treaties of the Republic of Uzbekistan are property of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The relations connected with the right of private property to water management objects are regulated by the Civil code of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The property right to water management objects is subject to obligatory state registration according to the procedure, established by the legislation.
Provision of water management object on the terms of public-private partnership is performed based on the legislation on public-private partnership.
The earth of water fund on the right of permanent use are provided:
to the relevant organizations for accessory - on artificial water objects and water management objects;
to the relevant organizations of the Ministry of water economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan - on natural water objects.
The earth of water fund can be withdrawn for social needs with compensation in the procedure established by the law.
On lands of water fund it is forbidden to conduct the economic activity and construction works making negative impact on water objects.
The procedure for use of lands for water fund is determined by this Code and other acts of the legislation.
Water resources management is exercised by the basin, hydrographic principle or taking into account other conditions providing their rational use.
In case of water resources management by specially authorized bodies are:
The ministry of water economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan and its bodies determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan by management of surface water;
Ministry of the mining industry and geology of the Republic of Uzbekistan of management of underground waters.
For the purpose of ensuring transparency in water resources management and adoption of relevant decisions with involvement of representatives of concerned parties water councils in the form of joint consultative body at the level of the republic and pools, and in necessary cases - the territories are created.
Under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan Republican water council is formed.
Heads of the competent ministries and departments in the field of use and protection of water resources are part of Republican water council. The structure of Republican water council can also include representatives of the non-state organizations, certain experts and scientists.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan is the chairman of Republican water council.
The ministry of water economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan is working body of Republican water council.
Under Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and regional khokimiyats water councils are formed basin (or territorial).
Basin (or territorial) water council heads of the territorial organizations of the competent ministries and departments in the field of use and protection of water resources enter into structure. The structure basin (or territorial) water council can also include representatives of the non-state organizations, certain experts and scientists.
The chairman of the board of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, hokima of areas are chairmen basin (or territorial) water councils.
The ministry of water economy of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, basin managements of irrigational systems are working bodies basin (territorial) water councils.
Under khokimiyats of areas (the city of Kuwasai) regional water councils are formed.
Heads of the district organizations of the competent ministries and departments in the field of use and protection of water resources are part of regional water councils. The structure of regional water councils can also include representatives of the non-state organizations, certain experts and scientists.
Hoky of the respective area (the city of Kuwasai) is the chairman of regional water council.
The district organization of the Ministry of water economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan or the organization exercising control of water management objects of the area is working body of regional water council.
Regulations on republican, basin, territorial water council and regulations of work affirm at meeting of the relevant council.
The water management objects transferred to the state organizations on the right of operational management are the state water management objects.
The state water management objects are controlled the operating organizations.
Based on decisions of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan or the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan the state water management objects can be:
are transferred to the control to private sector based on the agreement on public-private partnership;
vertical irrigating wells and separate small pumping points (capacity of water intake to 1 cubic meters per second) are realized to private sector by holding the auction.
The water management objects servicing only one water user (the lessee of the agricultural parcel of land) the relevant decision of Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan or khokimiyat of area are transferred to this water user on the right of operational management to the isolated use without payment.
The water management objects servicing two and more water users (lessees of the agricultural parcels of land) are transferred by the relevant decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the organizations of supply of water on the right of operational management to the isolated use without payment.
Content of the water management objects put into operation is performed at the expense of means of water users and the organizations of supply of water for accessory.
The water management objects constructed at the expense of own means of water users are considered as private property.
Water users - legal entities, non-state non-profit organizations according to their constituent documents, and also citizens have the right to participate in water resources management, implementation of actions for rational use, protection of waters and water objects.
The operational organizations of water economy and the organization of supply of water in case of water resources management, implementation of actions for rational use of water and water objects and their protection consider proposals of water users, non-state non-profit organizations and citizens, including socially vulnerable segments of the population.
In the field of regulation of the water relations treat powers of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan:
carrying out state policy in the field of complex and rational use, management and protection of waters and water objects;
taking measures to enhancement of system of rational management of waters and water objects;
coordination of activities of the ministries, departments, other legal entities in the field of complex and rational use, management and protection of waters and water objects, and also preventions and liquidations of harmful effects of waters;
organization of activities of Republican water council;
establishment of procedure for education and use of water fund, approval of regulations of water use, quotas of water intake and limits of water intake;
ensuring conducting the state accounting of waters and control of use and their protection, maintaining the state water inventory and water monitoring;
development of measures for prevention and liquidation of major accidents, disasters, ecological crises and harmful effects of waters;
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