Restoration of lakes in nature reserves, preservation of Aral and Balkhash

Five key initiatives to solve pressing problems in the field of water resources were presented by Kazakhstan at the One Water Summit. Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for International Environmental Cooperation Zulfiya Suleimenova outlined the country’s plans in the field of water policy and environmental cooperation, the press service of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.

Thus, Kazakhstan intends to ratify the UN Protocol on Water and Health. Today, the country is a party to the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, as well as the UN Convention on the Law of Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses. Another important step will be the implementation of a program to improve the efficiency of water use in agriculture, developed jointly with the French Development Agency.

One of the key initiatives was Kazakhstan’s joining the global Freshwater Challenge program aimed at preserving ecosystems. The first project under this program involves the restoration of the Aksuat lake system in the Naurzum Nature Reserve.

Considerable attention is paid to the restoration of the Northern Aral Sea. At the moment, preparations are underway for the second stage of the Northern Aral conservation project aimed at developing infrastructure and improving the hydrological state of the Northern Aral Sea and the Syrdarya River delta, as well as supporting a stable economic, social and environmental situation in the Kyzylorda region.

The unique Lake Balkhash was also in the spotlight. Kazakhmys, the largest private company in Kazakhstan, will allocate $5 million to preserve and maintain its ecosystem, as well as adjacent wetlands.

“There are inland bodies of water that also deserve our attention. The unique Lake Balkhash is one of them. Half of its water is salty, and the other half is fresh. Its southern part is the wetlands of the Ramsar Convention. With permission, I would like to announce that the leading private company in Kazakhstan, Kazakhmys Corporation, will allocate 5 million US dollars for projects aimed at preserving the ecosystem of the lake. We are proud that representatives of the private sector are ready to take on such ambitious challenges and show leadership in preserving aquatic ecosystems.”,- Suleimenova indicated.

It should be noted that on the sidelines of the One Water Summit, a trilateral agreement was signed between the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research of France (BRGM).
The agreement with AFD and BRGM is aimed at studying and sustainable management of water resources in the Lake Balkhash basin. The document provides for the measurement and analysis of the state of water, modeling of climatic and anthropogenic influences, as well as forecasting the water balance until 2040.

One of the goals of the project is to optimize the operating mode of the Kapchagai reservoir to stabilize the level of Lake Balkhash. According to the results of the study, measures will be taken to clean up rivers, prevent soil degradation and water pollution, develop fisheries and ecological tourism, as well as create a regulatory framework for lake protection.

The fifth initiative, the Water Towers Partnership— is aimed at global efforts to close knowledge gaps on glaciers by supporting research, integrating local knowledge about glaciers and supporting young glaciologists.

It should be recalled that the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan delivered a welcoming speech at the opening ceremony of the One Water Summit and expressed gratitude to France, Saudi Arabia and the World Bank Group for their assistance in organizing this event.

One Water Summit 2024 has become a platform for discussing global challenges related to water resources management and developing joint solutions at the international level. The presentation of Kazakhstan’s initiatives highlighted the country’s role as an active participant in the global sustainable development agenda.