Kazakh Floods - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakh Floods Spring Season Flood Risk

Eight Regions in Kazakhstan Face High Flood Risk

Kazakhstan's National Headquarters for Coordination of Flood Control Measures has identified the most flood-prone regions of Kazakhstan. As of March 13, 67% of the country remains covered in snow. Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nyssanbayev noted that snowmelt has already begun in the Kyzylorda, Turkestan, Zhambyl, West Kazakhstan, Atyrau, and Mangystau regions. Meanwhile, maximum soil freezing has been recorded in the northwest, northeast, and central parts of the country. In the Kostanay region, frost penetration exceeds 150cm, while in the Akmola region, it reaches 139cm. The Pavlodar and Karaganda regions have experienced frost depths of up to 159cm and 132cm, respectively. Weather forecasts indicate that March and April will be warmer than usual, with heavy precipitation expected in most of the country, increasing the risk of flooding. For the first time in 2025, Kazakhstan has issued detailed flood risk assessments for each region, including maximum water flow levels, runoff volumes at hydrological posts, and at-risk settlements. Based on this analysis, eight regions have been classified as high-risk flood zones: East Kazakhstan, Karaganda, Akmola, North Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Aktobe, Abay, and Ulytau. An additional five regions, Almaty, Zhambyl, West Kazakhstan, Atyrau, and Zhetisu, are considered medium-risk zones. “Regions must maintain a high level of preparedness. Akimats [local councils] should take comprehensive measures to prevent flooding in settlements, prioritizing protection from steppe water. Culverts, bridges, and drainage systems should be cleared of ice and debris, and riverbanks must be reinforced. Bottlenecks in rivers should be widened. Additionally, emergency response teams must be stationed in flood-prone areas, with designated evacuation sites fully equipped with life-support resources,” said Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. The Ministry of Emergency Situations has been tasked with providing round-the-clock monitoring of the flood situation. In the event of worsening conditions, additional emergency response forces will be deployed. According to Minister of Emergency Situations Chingis Arinov, more than 37,000 civil protection personnel, 13,000 units of equipment, 4,000 water pumps, and 640 boats have been mobilized. Ministry aircraft remain on standby, and a reserve force of 1,000 employees with 120 specialized vehicles, 123 water pumps, and 39 boats is also prepared for deployment. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, Kazakhstan began releasing water from reservoirs in January to maximize capacity ahead of spring floods. However, last year, the greatest damage was caused not by overflowing rivers but by the rapid melting of the snowpack.

Floods in Kazakhstan: Affected Citizens Make Demands to the Authorities

The situation with floods in several regions of Kazakhstan remains critical. In Atyrau region, it has already acquired the character of a political crisis; in the city of Kulsary, since May 15, residents, dissatisfied with the amount of compensation offered have continued to speak out. On May 20, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the RK provided operational information on the flood situation. In Petropavlovsk, work on pumping out the remaining flooded 29 territories continue. During the day 153,320 cubic meters were pumped out. Due to the stabilization of flood situation in general, work in the region also involved rescuers from Almaty, Abay, Ulytau, Akmola, Karaganda, Kostanay, Pavlodar and Turkestan regions. In Atyrau region 66,770 cubic meters of water were pumped out from flooded areas, whilst around-the-clock monitoring of the water level of the River Zhaiyk and additional bank reinforcement works were undertaken in Atyrau and Makhambet districts. "Disinfection work is being carried out in drained houses and territories. Over the past six days, the units of radiation, chemical and biological protection of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the villages of Teplichnoye, Olshanka, Sokolovka, Vishnevka, Beskol, Pribrezhnoye of Kyzylzhar district of North Kazakhstan region disinfected 307 houses in the city of Kulsary of Atyrau region and some 165,000 square meters," officials stated. Some 61,348 evacuated people have returned to their homes, whilst 5,460 remain in temporary accommodation centers. About 22.4 million cubic meters of water from 11,319 private residences and 3,593-yard territories have been drained. Nevertheless, the water level in the River Zhaiyk remains at a critical level. In this regard, Kazakhstan continues to reduce spending on hospitality events, and today the International IT Forum Digital Bridge 2024, which was to be held from September 5-7 in Astana, was canceled. The organizers of Digital Bridge - the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the international technology park Astana Hub - reported that given favorable circumstances, it will resume its work in 2025. Last week, on May 15, residents in the town of Kulsary went to the building of the district Akimat (local authority) to demand compensation in the amount of 400,000 tenge ($905) per square meter of flooded houses. On May 16, eyewitnesses reported that outraged residents were still outside the Akimat having pitched tents and blocked the central street. Internet outages were observed in the city. On May 17, Atyrau Oblast Akim Serik Shapkenov arrived in Kulsary, where he said that when assessing the damage and determining the amount of compensation, many parameters were considered, from the quality of building materials, "down to the number of doors in the house... Now the average compensation per square meter when recognizing a house unfit for habitation is about 200-240,000 tenge per square meter ($540)," - he stated. Following the results of the tour, the head of the region instructed the Akim of the district to strengthen their explanatory work when familiarizing residents with the results of the assessment. On May 18, President...

“This Disaster Has Shown We Are All United”: An Interview with Zakirzhan Kharisovich, Deputy of Petropavlovsk, about the Kazakh Floods

This spring Kazakhstan struggled to contain flooding that displaced upwards of 120,000 people -- described by president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as the country’s ‘worst natural disaster in 80 years’. With the flooding now contained, and excess water being repurposed, The Times of Central Asia spoke to Zakirzhan Kharisovich, a deputy of the maslikhat (local representative body) of the city of Petropavlovsk, about his experience of the natural disaster. TCA: What were the main challenges you faced during the first months of the floods? ZK: The last time we experienced floods was back in 2017, when my yard was filled with 30-40 centimetres of water. We knew then that if rainfall exceeded the norm, the subsequent rise in the water level in the Sergeevskoye Reservoir, 170 kilometers away, would again pose a threat. This year, alerted by weather forecasts, to combat the problem I joined residents in building embankments and dams. We were assisted by soldiers from Astana, whom we called the "300 Spartans", as well as staff from the Emergency Situations Department in Karaganda. Despite precautionary measures, this time my yard was flooded with three meters of water. I couldn’t access my home for over three weeks, and during that time everything inside -- furniture, household appliances, etc. -- was submerged. TCA: How was aid organized in the first days after the floods? ZK: Due to the collapse of the city’s water tower, we had no access to drinking water for almost a month. In addition to providing the aforementioned help, Kazakhstan’s volunteer movement worked full-pelt in shipping in truckloads of humanitarian aid, including household products, mattresses, clothes, food, cereal, rice and flour, as well as pumps and water-pumping generators. The range of their assistance was enormous. Our compatriots in nearby cities, such as Kurgan and Tyumen, were worried about us and were quick to assist. We also received support from other places, including Dagestan, Tajikistan, Ingushetia, and from Russia and further afield. TCA: How did the akimat, public services and local communities work together, and what support was provided by the central government in addressing issues? ZK: Under the supervision of the deputy akim, the akimat staff were actively involved in building the dam, as well as coordinating and organizing activities in response to the floods. I packed bags with water-absorbent materials. Regarding the actions of the central government, Roman Sklyar, the first deputy prime minister, immediately arrived on site to speak to residents and help supervise measures to both clear the damage and resolve other issues caused by the floods. Following his visit, prime minister Olzhas Bektenov proposed to allocate funds to replace essentials such as furniture, cooking utensils, refrigerators etc. So, in principle, if four million tenge ($9,100) worth of furniture and appliances has been lost, it will be covered by the government. This does however raise many questions. Whilst we have full confidence in the pledge made by the president to restore our property, doubts surround the lower officials’ full understanding of his intentions. TCA: What was...

Chinese Сompanies’ Generous Aid for People Hit by Kazakhstan’s Floods

Some fifteen members of the Association of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan have stepped in to provide generous aid for people badly affected by unprecedented spring floods that hit the country in April. In addition to funds totalling around 300 million tenge (over $675 thousand), the Chinese companies have donated special equipment, fuel, and other necessary resources. According to a report by Kazakh Invest, PetroChina International Kazakhstan and its subsidiaries donated more than 100 million tenge, JAC automobile concern and Allur,100 million tenge, and the Kazakhstan branch of Chinese oil and gas corporation Geo-Jade Petroleum, 70 million tenge. A donation of over 3 million tenge was made by Chinese grain company Xi'an Aiju to the North Kazakhstan Disaster Relief Fund, and the Chinese National Chemical Engineering Corporation and China Tianchen jointly contributed 1.7 million tenge to flood relief. JXC donated engine oil for 1.8 million tenge.

Military in Kazakhstan Head Back to Bases After Working to Contain Floods

Kazakh military units that deployed to help with flood control measures in the past weeks are returning to their barracks as the crisis that hit large parts of the country winds down. “Due to the stabilization of the situation and the drop in water levels, some of the personnel and military equipment of the armed forces are returning to their permanent deployment points from the West Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan and Akmola regions,” Ruslan Zhangulin, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said on Monday. About 2,200 military personnel and 16 pieces of military equipment were involved in flood control as of Saturday, according to Zhangulin. The military was involved in evacuations and building barriers to prevent water flows during the flooding, which began in March and forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 people as winter snow melted with the arrival of warmer temperatures. Nearly 40,000 have since returned to their homes. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the floods as Kazakhstan’s worst natural disaster in 80 years.

Kazakhstan Repurposing Floodwater

In a strategic response to the unprecedented spring flooding this year, Kazakhstan is channeling its efforts towards harnessing the disastrous floods to its advantage. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation in Kazakhstan has embarked on a program to utilize the massive floodwaters for future irrigation and environmental sustainability. In the Atyrau region, which has faced significant flooding, the ministry’s subdivision has taken the initiative of digging 14.5 kilometers of new canals. These aim to redirect the surplus water from the Zhaiyk (Ural) River directly to the Caspian Sea, thereby mitigating the risk of damage in the city of Atyrau. This redirection not only safeguards the city, but also conserves water. According to estimates, up to a quarter of the Caspian Sea – an area the size of Portugal – could be set to disappear by the end of the century. In the West Kazakhstan region, discharge from the Ural-Kushum irrigation system into the Kamysh-Samar lakes, which have been dry for two decades, has been reported, marking a significant step towards reviving these reserves. Meanwhile, the Tobol River has recorded high water levels for the first time since 2000. The reservoirs of the Tobol River cascade have managed the floodwaters and are now 92% full - a record in recent times. The Astana Reservoir, meanwhile, is being filled with floodwater with the aim of securing drinking water supplies for the capital for the forthcoming year. In 2023, a shortfall necessitated additional costly water supplies to be redirected from the Satpayev Canal. In the Akmola region, having been filled with floodwater, irrigation systems such as Alva and Kenbidike are now at full capacity. Rivers in the Tselinograd region have also been replenished, directing a substantial volume of 1.5 billion cubic meters of water towards Lake Tengiz. Furthermore, the Karaganda region's reservoirs are now brimming, ensuring the region's needs are covered for the next year. Water from the Kengir Reservoir in the Ulytau region has also been discharged into the Sarysa River, flowing into the Kyzylorda region’s lake system and enhancing its agricultural prospects. The Almaty region has also benefited from an increased flow from the trans-boundary Ili River into the Kapchagay Reservoir, adding approximately 2.3 cubic kilometers of water into environmentally-threatened Lake Balkhash.