Kazakhstan is set to build 20 new
reservoirs with a total volume of nearly 2.5 cubic kilometers, which will
reduce the country’s dependence in water supply by a quarter. At the same time,
it will contribute to an increase in the area of irrigated land by 250,000
hectares. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation,
46 percent of water comes from the neighboring countries. To ensure the
country’s water security and address the issue of water scarcity, a draft
Comprehensive Water Sector Development Plan for 2024-2030, which envisages
various measures for the construction and reconstruction of reservoirs and renovation
of hydraulic structures, irrigation systems, and group water pipelines, has
been developed. There are also plans to introduce water-saving technologies on
150,000 hectares of irrigated areas every year, as well as to increase the share
of subsidies for the establishment of irrigation systems and the purchase of
drip and sprinkler irrigation equipment from 50 to 80 percent. The plan implementation
is expected to enhance available water resources by 3.7 cubic kilometers,
expand the area of irrigated land to 2.2 million hectares, and reduce annual
losses of irrigation water by three cubic kilometers.
