Russia and Kazakhstan discuss joint rehabilitation of common rivers
Russia and Kazakhstan are discussing joint rehabilitation of transboundary water bodies. In particular, we are talking about rivers flowing through the territory of both countries. The Agreement on the joint use and Protection of Water bodies was signed by the parties at the governmental level 30 years ago and the time has come to update it.
— Relations between Kazakhstan and Russia are reaching a new level of cooperation, a single roadmap is being implemented, which we signed in 2020. There are no problematic issues, but we ourselves understand that the climate is changing now. Accordingly, the hydrological regime of our transboundary rivers is changing. We must confront these challenges together. For example, floods caused some damage to both Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. And this year has shown that we are able to work in the key of mutually beneficial cooperation,” said Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan Nurlan Aldamzharov.
The parties discussed the distribution of water, taking into account the needs of regional ecosystems. At the same time, the relevant experience of improving the health of the Volga and Don, flowing through diverse territories, can be used.
— The main tasks of the commission are to do so so as not to harm the neighbor. Some of the rivers from Russia flow to Kazakhstan, and some — in the opposite direction. Border areas may suffer from low water or flooding. This year the whole Urals, the whole of Siberia was drowning. And together we regulated our reservoirs to minimize damage,” said Vadim Nikonorov, Deputy head of the Federal Agency for Water Resources of the Russian Federation.
He also noted that working groups have been established for each river and work is underway to determine the principles of water allocation between countries and to coordinate the water balance.
— The protocol on water separation on the Ural River between Russia and Kazakhstan appeared in Soviet times. But we would like to have such protocols on all our important rivers,” he added.
NIA “Ecology”
