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In preparation for potential floods next spring, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is gradually releasing water from reservoirs in the country's northern, western, central, and eastern regions to ensure they can receive snowmelt water in case of flooding. In Kostanay Region, the Karatomar reservoir releases 50 cubic meters of water per second. In Aktobe Region, the Kargalinsky reservoir discharges 15 cubic meters of water per second, and 107 million cubic meters of water were released from the Aktobe reservoir from August 23 to October 1. In western Kazakhstan, three cubic meters of water per second are released from the Kirov reservoir, 13 cubic meters per second from the Bitik reservoir, six cubic meters from the Dunguluk reservoir, and five cubic meters from the Pyatimar reservoir. At the same time, reservoirs in dry southern regions of Kazakhstan keep accumulating water for next year’s growing season. Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurlan Aldamzharov commented that the country's reservoirs accumulated 75 billion cubic meters of water this past spring, 15 billion cubic meters more than last year. More than 12 billion cubic meters of that water was flood water. In the spring of 2024, Kazakhstan's western and northern regions suffered from unprecedented floods caused by the rapid snowmelt. The floods destroyed thousands of homes and forced almost 100,000 people to evacuate from flood zones.
Kazakhstan's minister of national economy, Nurlan Baibazarov, has announced that the country is to repair its water management system following recent severe floods. "The floods that took place in the spring showed the underdeveloped infrastructure of the country's water management system. We have identified 16 projects that require investments of more than 500 billion tenge [over $1 billion]," Baibazarov said. According to the minister, preferential financing will come from from the Saudi Islamic Development Bank. Funds are provided for an extended period at a very low rate, enabling the resolution of long-standing issues in this sector. The renovation of the water management system will include the construction of reservoirs and irrigation canals and the fortification of the technical infrastructure for all services. "First of all, according to the instructions of the head of state, we will carry out a complete renewal of equipment and facilities in the Ministry of Emergency Situations system. In the water sector, we will also equip the Kazvodkhoz system with the necessary equipment," Baibazarov added.
To channel funds into eliminating the consequences of unprecedented spring flooding in Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has issued an order to halt costly image-building and other major events. The decision announced by the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sport on 26 April, will directly impact the Games of the Future, a phygital sports show in which competitors challenge each other in physical and digital dimensions. Following his attendance at the first ever Games in the city of Kazan, Russia, in February this year, President Tokayev announced that Kazakhstan would host the next round in 2025. The event has now been postponed until 2026. Kazakhstan also plans to optimize the cost of organizing the 5th World Nomad Games to be held in Astana from 8 -14 September.
In response to the extensive spring floods that to date, have displaced more than 119,000 people across Kazakhstan, the European Union has pledged €200,000 in humanitarian aid to assist the worst affected families. As reported by the Delegation of the European Union to Kazakhstan, funds allocated by the EU will be channelled through the Red Crescent Society of Kazakhstan to provide essential aid in the form of household items such as mattresses and bed linen, multi-purpose cash, as well as measures and materials related to hygiene. The humanitarian aid, to be provided over the next three months, will directly benefit 5,000 individuals seriously affected by the floods, particularly female-headed households, households with disabled or elderly family members, and families with more than three children.
More than 500 hydraulic structures in Kazakhstan intended to hold back water during floods need to be repaired, according to a report from the country's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. Specialists from the ministry, together with akimats (local administrations), counted 1,502 hydraulic structures in the country, of which 537 are damaged. According to the department, the hydraulic structures will be repaired as funds are received from the national budget. The survey comes amid Kazakhstan's battle with historic spring flooding, which has set in motion a frantic grind of evacuations, pumping water and shoring up dams. While the threat remains, water levels are declining in some areas and the country is working to help disaster victims over the long term. Some 22,700 people who fled their homes to escape floodwaters have returned, and the flood situation has stabilized in some hard-hit places such as the Aktobe region, according to the government. Still, thousands of residents -- many of them children -- remain in evacuation centers, whilst others are in temporary housing. More than 100,000 people have been evacuated over the course of the crisis, which began in March as snow melted quickly in the warmer weather.
The people of Uzbekistan plan to send humanitarian aid to the people of Kazakhstan affected by the spring floods, according to a report by news outlet 24.KZ. The initiative was proposed by a group including a local blogger, activists and Kazakhs living in Uzbekistan. Residents of Upper Chirchik, Tashkent region, sent hundreds of liters of vegetable oil and bedding. There are also people bringing inflatable boats, rubber boots and personal hygiene items to the collection center. Uzbeks also organized fundraising, with the amount of funds raised reaching 60 million sum (~$4,700). According to 24.KZ, the volunteers planned to send humanitarian aid to Kazakhstan on April 19 to a village affected by the flood in the Kostanay region. Humanitarian aid has been sent to the people affected by the floods in Kazakhstan. Fifteen large trucks will deliver food, clothes, blankets, blankets, pillows, hygiene products, special equipment tents, rubber boat kits and other essential items.
