Water for fields: Kazakhstan modernizes irrigation network

A large-scale campaign has been launched in Kazakhstan to modernize the country’s irrigation network, aimed at combating the shortage of water resources and providing farmers with irrigation water. Since the beginning of 2025, the branches of RSE “Kazvodkhoz” under the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation have already carried out mechanized cleaning of 780 kilometers of canals, which is an important step to increase their capacity and reduce losses of valuable moisture, the press service of the department reports.

In total, 2011 kilometers of waterways are planned to be cleaned this year. The bulk of the work, covering the remaining 1,231 kilometers, will be completed after the end of the growing season, so as not to disrupt the schedule of water supply to the fields during the most crucial season. Such a measure will significantly improve the delivery of water to acreage in conditions of limited water reserves.

In parallel with the cleaning of the canals, comprehensive repairs of key hydraulic structures are being carried out. According to Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Yerbolat Ibraikhanov, this is necessary to guarantee the stable operation of the entire system. “To ensure a stable supply of irrigation water to peasant farms, 517 hydraulic structures are also being repaired. 78 structures were repaired before the start of the irrigation period. The remaining 439 facilities are planned to be put in proper condition after the end of the growing season. All work will be completed by the end of this year,” he said.

Original (in Russian): Вода для полей: в Казахстане модернизируют ирригационную сеть