Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the German Water Partnership (GWP) signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement on October 8 aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in sustainable water management.
The agreement will allow Kazakhstan to adopt international best practices and advanced water-saving technologies, strengthen climate resilience in the water sector, improve flood and drought response, and expand training for water-sector professionals.
GWP is Germany’s leading water-sector network with a strong international focus. It brings together around 300 companies, trade associations, and institutions from business, science, and research.
German expertise is already contributing to Kazakhstan’s digital projects in water resource forecasting, modeling, and accounting. German technologies are also being used in the construction of hydraulic infrastructure across the country.
Following the signing, Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev and GWP Managing Director Boris Greifeneder discussed plans to deepen cooperation. One key proposal was the establishment of a Kazakh-German Water Innovation Hub, to be housed at the Information and Analytical Center of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, with GWP’s support.
In a related initiative, the Kazakh-German University (DKU), the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, and the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, supported by Germany’s Hanns Seidel Foundation, recently launched a new scientific and educational hub: the Kazakh-German Nexus Institute.
Headquartered in Almaty, the Nexus Institute will focus on developing evidence-based policies for sustainable land and water use in Central Asia.
Water resource management remains a critical priority for Kazakhstan, particularly in the country’s arid southern regions where agriculture depends heavily on efficient irrigation systems.
