On August 1, Kazakhstan’s minister for water resources and irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, chaired a meeting on preparations for the second phase of the North Aral Sea restoration project.
The North Aral Sea is the portion of the former Aral Sea fed by the Syr Darya River. It split from the South Aral Sea in 1987–1988, when water levels dropped due to water diversion for agricultural use.
The meeting reviewed the preparation of a feasibility study for the project.
The project consists of three components. The first component improves conditions for fisheries and the aquatic environment in and near the sea, and stabilizes wetlands in the Syr Darya River delta.
The second component supports sustainable economic, social, and environmental activities in Kazakhstan’s Kyzylorda region by developing fisheries, livestock farming, tourism, and forest planting.
The third component plans to improve water management systems in the Aral-Syr Darya basin.
Nurzhigitov commented: “The project being prepared is a continuation of a large-scale project to regulate the Syr Darya River bed and preserve the North Aral Sea, which was implemented between 2002 and 2010 and positively affected the entire Aral Sea region. The second phase covers many different areas — from the stable provision of the North Aral Sea with water to developing economic and social projects.”
