Kazakhstan Completes Modernization of Major Water Infrastructure Projects
In June 2026, Kazakhstan completed the modernization of three major hydraulic facilities in its southern and western regions. The construction work, which began two years ago, is designed to mitigate critical water losses during transportation and protect residential areas from destructive spring floods amid growing water scarcity in Central Asia.
In the Turkestan region, the Nayman canal has reopened following a full-scale renovation. Engineers installed a continuous concrete lining over a section exceeding twenty-six kilometers and built seventy-five new engineering structures. This main canal previously supplied water to approximately two thousand hectares of agricultural land in the Ordabasy district and private plots in the village of Kazhymukan. The replacement of the deteriorated earthen channel with concrete prevents water seepage into the soil, enabling a significant expansion of irrigated areas without an increase in total water intake.
A similar technological upgrade was implemented in the Almaty region on the Konaev Big Almaty Canal. Workers dismantled the failed components of the old infrastructure and reinforced one and a half kilometers of the most critical sections with monolithic reinforced concrete. The restoration of the canal’s capacity has stabilized the water supply for thirty-three thousand hectares of agricultural land in the region.
In the West Kazakhstan region, the priority shifted toward physical infrastructure safety. In the village of Togan, Akzhaik district, specialists fully updated the sluice gates and dams of the Kirov Reservoir. The reinforcement of these hydraulic nodes is intended to withstand the increasing pressure of meltwater during the spring flood period, safeguarding local settlements and allowing for the accumulation of sufficient reserves for the dry summer season.
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov stated that these projects define the baseline water security for Kazakhstan. The reconstruction of the canals – which reduces water loss and facilitates the development of irrigated farming – ensures stable resource accumulation regardless of seasonal climatic variations.