Kazakhstan Engages Hydrogeology to Address Water Issues

On 30 April, a government resolution was signed by the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov for the establishment of a national hydrogeological service under the name of Kazhydrogeology. Increasingly used worldwide, hydrogeology records movement and storage of water in the crust of the Earth, maps and quantifies water stored in underground 'acquifiers', identifies pathways of flow and discharge, and assesses the chemical composition of underground water. Kazhydrogeology  is tasked with making a full inventory of the country's  groundwater deposits and water intake wells  to create an extensive database of 4,300 explored groundwater areas and in addition, provide comprehensive digitalization of the hydrogeological industry through the introduction of an automated groundwater monitoring system. Prospecting and exploration work will be undertaken to increase the volume of available underground water resources in regions where water is scarce,  to optimize provision for the general population, the economic sector, and irrigation. The new agency also plans to explore the use of geothermal groundwater, as an alternative  source of energy, to meet the needs of thermal power engineering, greenhouses, and fish farms.