Kazakhstan and Russia are preparing for floods on transboundary rivers
The Republican Crisis Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan and the National Crisis Management Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia exchange information on the state of the water level in transboundary rivers on an ongoing basis, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported at the request of the correspondent of the Kazinform agency.
Projects aimed at strengthening infrastructure and reducing risks are being implemented. The main activities include the construction and strengthening of protective dams and shafts, the installation of drainage channels and ditches, as well as the repair of culverts and storm sewer systems. However, according to experts, in the event of a breach of dams or a sharp rise in the water level in rivers crossing the boundary with the Russian Federation, such efforts may not be sufficient.
In this regard, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, for effective management and interaction of authorized bodies and organizations in responding to floods, an Action Plan for the elimination of emergencies of global and regional scale was developed and approved.
Interaction with the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, including issues of flood prevention, is carried out on an ongoing basis.
— Departments of Emergency Situations of the regions of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan on an ongoing basis carry out information interaction with Crisis Management Centers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, including the exchange of information on the state of the water level in transboundary rivers, the filling capacity of hydraulic structures, changes in weather conditions. Thus, analyzing the data obtained, appropriate rapid response measures are being taken to prevent possible flood threats,” the response of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the request of the correspondent of the Kazinform agency says.
Earlier, the Russian Emergencies Ministry told how they were preparing for floods.
— According to preliminary forecasts, inflows to reservoirs will be higher than the average annual, which will require special attention to the creation of free reservoir capacities for receiving water during snowmelt in the territories of the subjects of the two countries. In addition, measures are being taken on the rivers to weaken the strength of ice, including blasting, sawing and blackening of ice, in order to prevent congestion and flooding of the territory,” the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation noted.
All emergency services of the border regions of the two countries conduct joint exercises every spring, before the spring snowmelt begins, to respond to emergencies arising during the passage of the spring flood. These exercises work out joint actions in the event of an emergency in border areas and areas.
Operational duty shifts of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan and Russia of the border regions exchange operational information daily, including on the flood situation. A similar exchange is carried out at the federal level between the Republican Crisis Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan and the National Crisis Management Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.
On November 7, 2024, Volgograd hosted the XIV meeting of the joint Kazakh-Russian Commission for the joint use and protection of transboundary water bodies, which was attended by experts and heads of services regulating the operation of reservoirs and considered issues of spring flood admission, research programs of transboundary rivers and water bodies, and approved work plans for 2025. The main focus is on the Zhaiyk River.
— To provide information support in solving problems in the field of protecting the population and territories from emergencies, the Russian Emergencies Ministry has created and operates the Atlas of Hazards and Risks information system, which is a segment of the automated information management system of the unified State emergency prevention and response system. The system accumulates and processes data from various government information providers on issues related to emergency prevention and response. In addition to these information systems, a separate agreement regulates the exchange of Earth remote sensing data.
In case of deterioration of the operational situation, the domestic constellation of spacecraft is involved, and the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters is activated, which provides access to space images from 17 space agencies of foreign countries. In the event of a threat of a cross-border emergency, space monitoring is carried out in advance, taking into account the forecast and possible deterioration of the operational situation, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation noted.
The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan expects to receive the first flood forecast for the Tasqyn system in early February. All reservoirs of Kazakhstan are being prepared for the spring flood.
