The key facts

  • 'Smart' AI-based video surveillance systems will be installed at tourism facilities near reservoirs, detecting the risk of drowning in real time and automatically alerting rescuers
  • By June 1, 2027, a unified electronic system for online monitoring of water levels and hydrological conditions will be launched
  • From 2027, a special Ministry of Emergency Situations squad with 36 staff positions will begin operating at the Karkidon reservoir in the Fergana region

Decree on reservoir safety

On October 27, a presidential decree (PQ-387) was adopted in Uzbekistan aimed at ensuring safety at reservoirs and adjacent territories and at digitalizing processes in this sphere. Gazeta.uz reports this..

'Smart' video surveillance and mandatory equipment for tourism facilities

According to the document, 'smart' systems based on artificial intelligence and video surveillance will be installed at tourism facilities around reservoirs. They must recognize in real time the risk of drowning, entry into restricted zones and dangerous crowds of people, automatically alerting rescue services. Tourism facilities will be required to be equipped with rescue boats, observation towers, local treatment facilities and evacuation maps with QR codes. To alert the population and tourists about emergencies, sirens, sound devices and an SMS notification system are being introduced.

Unified water level monitoring system

By June 1, 2027 , a unified electronic information system for online monitoring of water levels and hydrological conditions will be launched at reservoirs for early detection of emergencies. It will consolidate and process data from weather stations, automatic sensors and geoinformation data; in case of a sharp change in water level or a threat to dam safety, AI algorithms must predict the risk and warn the relevant services. The Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Well-Being and Public Health will constantly monitor water quality in reservoirs and enter indicators into an automatic diagnostics and control system.

Rescue squad at Karkidon

A special rescue squad of the Ministry of Emergency Situations will begin operating on the territory of the Karkidon reservoir in the Fergana region, which will be allocated 36 staff positions from 2027.

Context: tourism development at reservoirs

The safety decree complements previously announced measures for developing tourism at reservoirs: vacant lands around them are put up for auction for the construction of tourism facilities, and entrepreneurs who organize tourism at reservoirs are granted tax and customs benefits. Thus, new requirements for equipping tourism facilities and alert systems are being introduced in parallel with the expansion of tourism infrastructure in these territories.