Kazakh Government Reviews Issues of Water Resources Use

Kazakh government discussed the issues of rational water consumption, in particular water-saving technologies and reduction of water costs. Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin said that a set of measures was included in the new draft state program on water resources management.

“A draft state program for water resources management has been developed. This document provides for the construction, modernization and improvement of water infrastructure and introduction of water-saving irrigation technologies, as well as digital transformation of water accounting and water distribution. These activities will significantly minimize water losses”, said Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin.

In Kazakhstan, 65 percent of water use accounts for the agricultural sector. Kazakh government offers several effective solutions in order to reduce the water shortage. For example, to start gradually reducing the sown area for wet crops.

“Secondly, the introduction of water-saving irrigation technologies should be continued on the area of at least 750,000 hectares. On average, this will save up to 30 percent or 2.2 cubic kilometers of water. Thirdly, two cubic kilometers of water will be saved per year through the reconstruction of 6,000 kilometers of irrigation networks and the digital transformation of 119 main trunk canals. A total of 192 billion tenge (US$457.1 million) from the state budget and international financial organizations will be allocated for this purpose in the next five years”, said Magzum Mirzagaliyev, Kazakh Minister of Ecology, Geology And Natural Resources.

Mirzagaliyev added that 39 new reservoirs will be built in Kazakhstan within 10 years to store 3.6 cubic kilometers of water. They will reduce the threat of flooding for 70 settlements of the country.