Kazakhstan is set to enhance relations
with Central Asian countries on water issues. New departments will be
established under the country’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to
expand cooperation in this sphere. The first one will focus on relations with
Central Asian countries, while the second will work on partnerships with China
and Russia.
“Overall, 80 percent of irrigated
lands are located in the southern regions of Kazakhstan. Therefore, cooperation
with Central Asian countries should be brought to a new level. The separation
of work will help to fortify relations with our foreign partners and focus on
solving specific tasks,” said Nagima Azhigulova, spokesperson for the Kazakh Ministry
of Water Resources and Irrigation.
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have recently signed a protocol on the forecast
operation mode of the reservoir cascade in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya river
basins. Additionally, the Central Asian countries have approved water withdrawal
limits for next year’s non-growing season. Until April 1, over 11 million cubic
kilometers of water are projected to flow into the Shardara reservoir, while 487
million cubic meters of water are expected to be withdrawn through the Dostyk interstate
canal. This will enable accumulating the necessary volume for next year’s
growing season in the Turkistan and Kyzylorda regions, as well as supplying
more than 1.5 billion cubic meters of water to the Aral Sea.
Web-editor: Aizhan
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