Kazakhstan Overhauls Water Infrastructure to Address Scarcity
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has initiated a project to reconstruct the Bartogai reservoir as part of a comprehensive plan for the water industry through 2028. In the Almaty region, plans include the construction of a group water pipeline and four main canals with a total length of 270 kilometers. The full restoration of specific sections of the Big Almaty Canal is also expected to be completed this year. Local authorities are preparing documentation for two new reservoirs–Sunkar and Tegermen–while a broader modernization program involves major repairs on four existing reservoirs and multi-factor inspections of 74 hydraulic structures. Government officials have been directed to ensure strict oversight and the timely commissioning of these projects.
In partnership with the Islamic Development Bank, work is planned to reconstruct over 550 kilometers of irrigation networks in the Enbekshikazakh, Balkhash, Uygur, and Raiymbek districts of the Almaty region. These measures are projected to secure a stable water supply for 34,000 hectares of agricultural land, thereby supporting the agro-industrial sector and enhancing the region’s climate resilience.
To enforce established water consumption limits, new regulations for irrigation water use have been adopted. The rules introduce higher tariffs for water consumption exceeding specified norms and for unauthorized crop changes. Water withdrawal without a formal agreement is also prohibited under the new framework.
Scarcity of irrigation water is recognized as a significant constraint on the country’s economic development, placing a high priority on improving water use efficiency. Local governments have been instructed to promote crop diversification, focusing on drought–resistant varieties, and to align rice cultivation areas with indicators set by the Ministry of Agriculture. Over 50 percent of the nation’s water resources are lost to ground seepage, a factor that complicates transboundary water-sharing negotiations with neighboring countries employing more advanced systems. This issue has been identified as a key focus for the next three to four years.
The government aims to expand water-saving irrigation systems to cover 1.3 million hectares of irrigated land across Kazakhstan by 2030. The specific target for the Almaty region under this national goal is 186,600 hectares.
