Two more canals in Uzbekistan added to the World Heritage Irrigation Structures list

Uzbekistan’s Dargom and Shohrud canals were recognized as World Heritage Irrigation Structures in 2026 and added to the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) register, the Agency for the Operation of Water Management Facilities reports.

The award ceremony took place on October 14 during an international congress in Marseille, France. Officials received certificates and commemorative plaques recognizing the canals.

The Dargom Canal, which supplies water to the Samarkand oasis, is believed to have been built between the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Nearly 102 kilometers long, the canal still irrigates almost 178,000 hectares of land today. 

The Shohrud Canal is believed to have been dug in the 3rd-4th centuries AD. For centuries, it has played a key role in the development of Bukhara and the surrounding oasis. 

Uzbekistan’s Dustlik and Eski Tuyatortar canals were also added to the World Heritage Irrigation Structures list in 2025.

Nasiba Ziyodullayeva, UzA