Kazakhstan to Audit 105 Hydraulic Structures for Seasonal Flood Prevention

Kazakhstan will complete technical audits of 105 dams, reservoirs, and other hydraulic structures by the end of the year. This large-scale infrastructure review is being conducted alongside seasonal flood preparations to prevent failures at aging water facilities. The initiative identifies structural vulnerabilities before they lead to emergency situations.

The 2024 audit schedule includes 69 structures under municipal jurisdiction and 35 facilities of national significance managed by the state enterprise Kazvodkhoz. Engineers are also inspecting the Dostyk interstate hydro-node, a critical facility for the distribution of water resources within the region.

These engineering assessments detect hidden defects and determine requirements for capital repairs. Specialists evaluate dam integrity, sluice gate functionality, and the overall state of spillway systems. Each audit concludes with a safety declaration that must pass an independent review. This certification is a mandatory condition for continued operation, as the deformation of even a small dam can cause significant flooding in residential and agricultural areas.

Under national water legislation, every hydraulic structure must undergo a profile inspection every five years. Government agencies exceeded the 2023 target by completing inspections on 84 facilities. Since the start of 2024, technical commissions have finalized assessments for 56 complexes, divided equally between national and local ownership.

The current inspections are part of a government-approved development plan for the water sector through 2028 – a program that involves the phased monitoring of 557 objects nationwide. This monitoring serves as a fundamental procedure for infrastructure protection. In accordance with the Water Code, these inspections ensure safe operation and are required at five-year intervals, calculated strictly from the date of the previous audit.