Master plan for Balkhash: international experts get to work
The ecological situation around Lake Balkhash, a unique waterway of Kazakhstan, is becoming increasingly alarming. Over the years, the accumulated problems associated with intensive water use, pollution and, possibly, the consequences of climate change have jeopardized the existence of this fragile ecosystem. Finally, an attempt was made to move from disparate actions to an integrated approach: a two-day seminar was held in Almaty on the development of a Master Plan for the preservation of the lake and its basin. This event, organized by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support of Kazakhmys Corporation LLP, brought together representatives of government agencies, international organizations, including the Consulate General of France, as well as scientists and experts, which underlines the seriousness of the problem.
During the seminar, the Information and Analytical Center for Water Resources at the relevant Ministry presented a Roadmap – a kind of action plan for the creation of this Master Plan. The document is ambitious: it covers a comprehensive analysis of the state and quality of water resources of the entire Ile-Balkhash basin, including hard-to-reach groundwater. Special attention is paid to modern technologies: it is planned to create a digital platform for monitoring the level of Balkhash, as well as automation and digitalization of key water bodies and hydraulic structures. These steps are critically important for understanding the real picture and responding promptly to the negative changes taking place with the lake against the background of anthropogenic load.
The roadmap also includes the development of measures for more rational use of water resources – an aspect that has long required revision, taking into account the needs of agriculture, industry and the growing population of the region. The foreign policy track is no less important: joint measures with China are envisaged to protect and sustainably use the waters of the transboundary Ili River, the main source of nutrition of the Balkhash. It is the unregulated water intake on the territory of a neighboring country that is often called one of the main threats to the future of the lake.
International partners are involved in the in-depth study of the Balkhash basin. The joint work will be conducted by the French Development Agency (AFD), the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research of France (BRGM) and Kazakhstani specialists. The French side has already started collecting the necessary data. In the near future, BRGM experts plan to conduct field studies, including inspection of wells, hydraulic posts and irrigated lands, in order to obtain an objective assessment of the situation directly on the spot. Such international cooperation gives hope for the application of best practices and technologies in solving the most complex environmental problems.
“For a long time, issues related to Lake Balkhash were resolved point-by-point, without a single strategy. To move to a systematic and coordinated work, we are starting to develop a Master Plan for the conservation and protection of Lake Balkhash. This document will become the most important stage in the formation of a holistic, intersectoral approach to the management of the basin’s water resources, based on a balance of interests of nature, economy and society,” said the moderator of the seminar, First Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bolat Bekniyaz. – To develop a Master Plan, it is necessary to study and analyze all key areas – from water and environmental issues to energy, agriculture and socio-economic development in the Ile-Balkhash region. For this purpose, the Roadmap presented today was prepared.”
“The problems of Balkhash are complex and transboundary in nature, especially given the dependence of the lake on the flow of the Ili River. Therefore, the involvement of international experts is absolutely justified and necessary,” emphasizes one of the seminar participants, director of the public foundation “Rivers Without Boundaries” Alexander Kolotov. “We are also ready to provide our expertise and will try to contribute to the development and implementation of the Master Plan so that it becomes not just a document, but a real shield capable of protecting the unique soul of Balkhash from final extinction.”
It remains to be hoped that the declared balance of interests will not turn into another compromise to the detriment of nature, and the Master plan will really become a tool for saving a unique lake.
Alexander Eskendirov (Rivers.Help!)
