Kazakhstan Environment - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakhstan Plants Over 1 Billion Trees as Reforestation Drive Extends to 2027

Between 2021 and 2024, Kazakhstan planted a total of 1.15 billion tree saplings, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. The effort forms part of a sweeping national campaign aimed at reversing deforestation and mitigating climate impacts. Initially, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had set a target of planting two billion trees by 2025. However, the government has now extended the deadline to the end of 2027 and re-approved its Comprehensive Plan for Reforestation and Afforestation. As part of the initiative, one and two-year-old saplings of both deciduous and coniferous species are being planted across various ecosystems. Currently, 251 forest nurseries operate across the country on 3,178 hectares of land, producing more than 280 million saplings for future planting. Urban greening is also a key focus. Under the presidential initiative to plant 15 million trees in cities and villages nationwide, 14.3 million have already been planted between 2021 and 2024. The plan calls for more than three million trees to be planted annually through 2025. To support this effort, the government has approved detailed landscaping and green zone development plans for Kazakhstan’s regions, as well as for its three major cities, Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent. Another priority is the afforestation of the dried bed of the Aral Sea, a critical environmental concern in Central Asia. Over the past three decades, trees and shrubs have been planted on more than 600,000 hectares of the former seabed, including 413,000 hectares over the last four years alone.

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Underground Tunnel Proposed to Channel Water from Black Sea to Caspian Sea

Azerbaijan’s ADOG company, in partnership with Zira Sea Port, has proposed an ambitious plan to construct an underground tunnel linking the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. The goal is to counteract the rapid decline in the Caspian’s water level, which presents mounting environmental, economic, and infrastructural risks for the five littoral states. According to the analytical portal Minval Politika, the project envisions a 10-meter diameter tunnel connecting the Black Sea, either from the Georgian or Russian coastline, to the Caspian Sea. Engineers propose using the natural elevation difference between the two bodies of water to enable gravity-fed flow from the Black Sea into the Caspian, eliminating the need for pumps. ADOG has stated that the proposed project would undergo comprehensive environmental monitoring and include measures to preserve biodiversity in both marine ecosystems. The company has expressed readiness to begin a feasibility study and initiate the mobilization of necessary resources. Project proponents have submitted a request for the initiative to be considered at the state level and are calling for the launch of preliminary intergovernmental consultations. The urgency behind the proposal is grounded in alarming recent data. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the Caspian Sea has been shrinking at a faster-than-expected rate. Environmental group Save The Caspian Sea reports that the sea level has dropped by two meters in the past 18 years, with projections warning of a further decline of up to 18 meters by 2100 if current trends continue. Such a drop could have catastrophic consequences for regional biodiversity, fisheries, port infrastructure, and climate stability, evoking fears of an ecological disaster akin to the desiccation of the Aral Sea. While the proposed tunnel remains at a conceptual stage, its geopolitical and environmental implications will likely generate serious debate among the Caspian littoral states: Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan.

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Central Asia’s Green Energy Dream: Too Big to Achieve?

Although most Central Asian nations are heavily dependent on fossil fuel production and exports, they are aiming to significantly increase the use of renewable energy, hoping to eventually become crucial suppliers of so-called green electricity to Europe. Achieving such an ambitious goal will be easier said than done, given that developing the green energy sector in the region requires massive investment. What Central Asian states – struggling to attract long-term private capital into clean energy projects – need is financing for projects that modernize power networks, improve grid stability, and enable cross-border electricity flows. These upgrades are essential for large-scale renewable energy deployment and regional trade in power. Most actors in Central Asia seem to have taken major steps in this direction. In November 2024, at the COP29 climate conference held in Baku, Kazakhstan signed several deals worth nearly $3.7 billion with international companies and development institutions to support green energy projects. Neighboring Uzbekistan, according to reports, has attracted more than €22 billion ($23.9) in foreign investment in renewable energy, while Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan – which is aiming to generate all its electricity from green energy sources by 2032 – have developed strategies to help increase their renewable potential. But to turn their goals into reality, all these nations will need funding – whether from oil-rich Middle Eastern countries, China, the European Union, or various international financial institutions. Presently, the development of the Caspian Green Energy Corridor – which aims to supply green electricity from Central Asia to Azerbaijan and further to Europe – remains the region’s most ambitious project. According to Yevgeniy Zhukov, the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Director General for Central and West Asia, this initiative is a strategic priority for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan. “While the prospect of exporting green electricity to Europe is part of the long-term vision, the core goal of the initiative is to accelerate green growth within the region,” Zhukov told The Times of Central Asia. Together with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the ADB is funding a feasibility study for this proposed transmission corridor. The study will assess the technical and economic viability of such a system, along with the environmental and regulatory requirements. In the meantime, the ABD is expected to continue funding other green energy projects in the region. The financial entity, according to Zhukov, invested $250 million in Uzbekistan in 2023 to support renewable energy development and comprehensive power sector reforms, while in other Central Asian countries, it remains “firmly committed to driving the green energy transition.” “For instance, in Tajikistan we are exploring the potential to co-finance the Rogun Hydropower Project alongside the World Bank and other international partners. In Kyrgyzstan, our focus has been on supporting foundational reforms in the energy sector, including strengthening the policy and regulatory environment to attract private investment in renewables. In Turkmenistan, we’ve launched a total of $1.75 million technical assistance initiative to help lay the groundwork for future renewable energy development,” Zhukov stressed, pointing out that these efforts are part...

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Opinion – Central Asia’s Looming Water Crisis: A Ticking Time Bomb

When people think of Central Asia, they often picture vast deserts, ancient Silk Road cities, and oil pipelines stretching to distant markets. Yet the region’s most urgent and combustible resource is not buried underground — it flows above it. Water, or more precisely the lack of it, is rapidly becoming the defining fault line of Central Asia’s future. For decades, the five Central Asian republics have tiptoed around a growing water crisis. The two major rivers that sustain life in this arid region, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, are now so contested and depleted that what was once a technical issue has metastasized into a geopolitical threat. The region's major rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya are under immense pressure, threatening agriculture, livelihoods, and regional stability. At the heart of the crisis is a tragic irony. The upstream countries, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, are rich in water but poor in energy and cash. They need to release water in winter to generate hydropower. Downstream nations, particularly Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, want water stored until the summer to irrigate vast cotton and wheat fields. The result? Mutual distrust, occasional diplomatic spats, and an accelerating race to dam, divert, and hoard water in a region already gasping under the weight of climate change. A Region Parched Central Asia annually utilizes over 60 billion cubic meters of water for irrigation from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins. However, recent years have seen a decline in river flows, with the actual flow of the Syr Darya being 20–23% less than the norm. Further, the ghost of the Aral Sea — a once-thriving inland lake that has now shrunk by over 90% in its volume and 74 % in surface area — serves as a haunting reminder of the cost of mismanagement. The Soviet legacy of excessive irrigation has morphed into a post-Soviet scramble for control, where water is not just a tool of survival but a lever of power. This desiccation has transformed the region, leading to the emergence of the Aralkum Desert and causing severe ecological and health issues. Climate Change Intensifies the Crisis Climate change is exacerbating water scarcity in Central Asia. A recent study revealed that an extreme heatwave in March 2025, with temperatures soaring 5 to 10°C above pre-industrial levels, was significantly amplified by global warming. Such temperature surges accelerate glacier melt and increase evaporation rates, further reducing water availability. By some estimates, Central Asia could lose over 30% of its freshwater resources by 2050. Yet, rather than galvanize cooperation, this existential threat has sparked more competition. International efforts have largely fallen flat. The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), the region’s main water cooperation body, is riddled with inefficiencies and lacks enforcement power. External actors like China and Russia have their own interests, often deepening the regional divide rather than healing it. Inefficient Water Management Inefficient agricultural practices remain one of the most profound and persistent contributors to water mismanagement across Central Asia. In...

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Kazakhstan and France Join Forces to Save Lake Balkhash

Work has begun in Almaty on the development of a master plan to preserve Lake Balkhash, one of Central Asia’s largest bodies of water. Experts from Kazakhstan and France will collaborate on the project, according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Master Plan for the Balkhash Ecosystem A two-day seminar has been launched in Almaty, during which a roadmap for the action plan was presented. The document includes an analysis of the water resources in the Ile-Balkhash basin, a study of groundwater reserves, the creation of a digital platform to monitor water levels, and the automation of hydraulic engineering facilities. Additional measures aim to ensure the more efficient use of the basin’s water resources and involve joint projects with China to protect the Ili River. The French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Geological and Mining Research Bureau (BRGM) are key partners in the project. French experts are currently collecting the necessary data and planning site visits to inspect wells, hydrological stations, and irrigated lands. The project is overseen by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan, with support from Kazakhmys Corporation LLP. The seminar is attended by representatives from Kazakhstani ministries, international organizations, academia, and the Consulate General of France in Almaty. “For a long time, issues related to Lake Balkhash were addressed on a case-by-case basis, without a unified strategy. To move towards a systematic approach, we are starting to develop a master plan,” said Bolat Bekniyaz, First Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation. He emphasized that the plan would consider all aspects of the basin’s sustainability, from ecology and water management to energy, agriculture, and socio-economic development. Kazakhstan-France Cooperation The Balkhash preservation initiative builds on earlier agreements between Kazakhstan and France. Last October, it was announced that a memorandum of cooperation and a trilateral agreement, covering groundwater exploration in the Ili-Balkhash basin, were in preparation. The French Development Agency (AFD), the French Geological and Mining Research Bureau (BRGM), and the International Water Agency (OiEau) are leading partners in this endeavor. During a meeting with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, French Ambassador Sylvain Guillemot highlighted the growing interest of French companies in constructing and modernizing water facilities, as well as in projects related to leak detection and resource management optimization. Water Resource Challenges in Balkhash Separately, on the shores of Lake Balkhash, in the village of Ulken, Kazakhstan plans to build its first nuclear power plant. According to unofficial data, since early 2025, approximately 3.8 billion cubic meters of water have been diverted from the Kapshagay Reservoir to Lake Balkhash, a move that has positively impacted the region’s ecological conditions and the Ili River delta. Experts have long warned that without a coordinated approach to water resource management, Lake Balkhash risks following the catastrophic path of the Aral Sea. Declining water levels are already impacting biodiversity, climate conditions, and the socio-economic well-being of local communities. The development of a master plan is viewed as a crucial...

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Water Level in Lake Balkhash Steadily Rising

Over the past year, the water level in Lake Balkhash has risen by 0.12 meters, and the volume of water has increased by 2 billion cubic meters, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. Located 175 miles northwest of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, Lake Balkhash is the world’s fifteenth-largest lake. In May 2024, reports indicated that Balkhash’s water level had risen by 0.23 meters since the start of the year, largely due to increased rainfall and snowmelt floods during spring. Since the beginning of 2025, 3.8 billion cubic meters of water have been released from the Kapchagay reservoir in Almaty region into Lake Balkhash. The lake’s water volume largely depends on the transboundary Ili River, which originates in China and supplies about 70% of Balkhash’s inflow. The river’s flow is regulated by the Kapchagay reservoir. This year, Lake Balkhash is expected to receive a total of 12 billion cubic meters of water from the reservoir. According to Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, the ministry will meet with French experts next week to begin preparations for a master plan to conserve Lake Balkhash through 2040. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that in December 2024, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation signed a cooperation agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Geological Survey (BRGM, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières) to preserve Lake Balkhash. Under the agreement, the French side will allocate a grant of 1.35 million euros to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to support the development of sustainable water management practices for the lake. The project includes a comprehensive study of the Lake Balkhash basin and the creation of a long-term preservation plan extending through 2040.