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Water

Kyrgyzstan Moves to Address Falling Water Levels in Lake Issyk-Kul

Kyrgyzstan is stepping up efforts to combat the declining water level of Lake Issyk-Kul, a critical ecological and economic resource, as the effects of climate change intensify. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Water Resources Bakyt Torobaev raised the issue at a government meeting this week, highlighting a combination of shrinking glaciers, reduced precipitation, and inefficient water use, particularly in agriculture, as key contributing factors. Lake Issyk-Kul, located in northeastern Kyrgyzstan, is the country’s largest lake and a vital component of the regional climate system. It also supports biodiversity and tourism. Torobaev warned that the continued decline in water levels could have far-reaching environmental, economic, and social consequences. Strategic Measures to Stabilize the Lake To address the crisis, Torobaev proposed a set of comprehensive interventions requiring cooperation between government agencies, scientists, local communities, and civil society. Key initiatives include: Modernizing irrigation systems and introducing water-saving technologies; Expanding green areas across the Issyk-Kul region; Enhancing research on glaciers and water resources; Developing long-term climate adaptation strategies. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, water diversion for agricultural irrigation, particularly outside the lake basin, was identified by experts at the 2024 National Water Forum as one of the primary threats to Issyk-Kul’s sustainability. Government Investment and Monitoring In response, the Kyrgyz government has pledged $392 million toward efforts to stabilize the lake’s water level. This includes $200 million dedicated to installing modern irrigation systems across 100,000 hectares of farmland. An additional investment will fund the deployment of 2,200 automated sensors to monitor water consumption in real time. Authorities expect these measures to return up to 200 million cubic meters of water to the lake, helping to mitigate the decline and protect Issyk-Kul's long-term ecological balance.

Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea Hits Historic Low

The Caspian Sea has dropped to its lowest recorded level, now sitting at less than 29 meters below sea level. The northern basin, bordering Russia and Kazakhstan, is shrinking particularly rapidly. As the water recedes, the exposed seabed is threatening key marine ecosystems. Experts warn the decline is already causing serious disruption to biodiversity in the region. Declining Volga Flow and Climate Change The downward trend in sea levels began in the 1990s and has accelerated since 2020, with a nearly 80-centimeter drop in the past four years. The primary factor is a decrease in the annual flow of the Volga River, which supplies approximately 80% of the Caspian's inflow and contributes 64% to the lake's total water balance. In recent years, the Volga’s annual discharge has ranged between 210 and 232 cubic kilometers, well below the historical average of around 250 cubic kilometers. At the same time, rising air temperatures are increasing evaporation rates, further depleting water levels. Scientists link these changes to global climate change and the ongoing rise in greenhouse gas emissions. Ecological and Economic Impact Human activity is compounding the problem. Significant water extraction from rivers for agriculture, industry, and municipal use is reducing the volume of water reaching the sea. Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources is currently developing a comprehensive program to adapt to these shifting environmental conditions. The initiative aims to enhance forecasting, mitigate the consequences of shallowing, and adjust economic activities to reflect the new hydrological realities. Experts suggest that only a sustained annual inflow of around 270 cubic kilometers, comparable to levels recorded in the 1970s and 1990s, can halt the lake's ongoing decline. Changing Coastlines and Public Concern A recent video by Kazakh filmmaker Adai Myrzatay has stirred widespread attention on social media. The footage juxtaposes images of the Caspian coastline in 2013 and 2025. Twelve years ago, the pier was surrounded by open water and untouched shoreline. Today, the water has receded dramatically. Bushes now encircle the pier, and high-rise buildings stand where the shoreline once lay. The video has been viewed over 1.5 million times. The falling water level is leading to the loss of biological diversity and shrinking spawning grounds for species such as the Caspian seal and sturgeon. The shallowing is also disrupting shipping and fishing operations and raising the risk of international disputes over increasingly scarce water resources. A Shared Challenge for Five Nations The Caspian Sea, the world’s largest enclosed inland body of water, receives inflow from more than 130 rivers, including the Volga, Ural, Terek, Sulak, and Samur. Its coastline is shared by five countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran. While the Volga's inflow increased slightly to 232 cubic kilometers in 2024, it remains insufficient to reverse or even stabilize the sea’s decline. Experts agree that regional cooperation and a coordinated, long-term strategy for water resource management are essential to confronting this environmental crisis.

water level

Water Level in Lake Balkhash Continues to Rise

The water level in Kazakhstan’s Lake Balkhash has increased by 32 centimeters during the first half of 2025, rising from 341.55 to 341.87 meters above sea level, based on the Baltic height system, according to data released by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. Located approximately 280 kilometers northwest of Almaty, Lake Balkhash is one of Asia’s largest inland bodies of water and ranks as the fifteenth-largest lake in the world by surface area. Since the beginning of 2025, 8.52 billion cubic meters of water have been discharged from the Kapchagay Reservoir in the Almaty region into Lake Balkhash. This marks an increase from 8 billion cubic meters over the same period in 2024. Officials expect total inflow from the reservoir to reach approximately 12 billion cubic meters by year-end. The lake’s hydrological health is closely tied to the transboundary Ili River, which originates in China and supplies nearly 70% of Lake Balkhash’s total inflow. The Ili’s flow is regulated by the Kapchagay Reservoir, which in 2025 is at full capacity for the second consecutive year, a milestone not seen in over a decade. The reservoir had previously reached full capacity in 2024 for the first time in ten years. In December 2024, Kazakhstan signed a cooperation agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Geological Survey (BRGM) to support a long-term conservation effort for Lake Balkhash. The agreement outlines a comprehensive study of the lake basin and the development of a sustainability strategy through 2040, aiming to safeguard one of Central Asia’s most ecologically and economically significant water bodies.

Environment

Kazakhstan Under Pressure to Address Environmental Crisis

The United Nations Green Climate Fund (GCF) has pledged $280 million to Kazakhstan for environmental projects, underscoring the country's increasingly urgent ecological challenges. Experts warn that Kazakhstan faces a widening crisis as environmental degradation accelerates. Toward a “Green” Transition Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nyssanbayev announced that the GCF will allocate substantial funding to Kazakhstan to support initiatives in renewable energy, electric transport development, and the adoption of low-carbon industrial technologies. “These investments will accelerate the country's transition to a sustainable, environmentally friendly economy,” Nyssanbayev stated. The minister said that Kazakhstan prepared a national program for GCF funding in 2024, comprising seven major initiatives. These included reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector, strengthening rural water supply systems, modernizing livestock farms, and promoting private-sector green financing. The program's total budget exceeds $1 billion, with $630 million potentially financed by the GCF. Additionally, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) continues to back renewable energy projects in Kazakhstan. Eleven projects with a combined capacity of 330 MW are planned by 2027; nine have already secured financing. A Mounting Environmental Toll Kazakhstan continues to struggle with serious environmental challenges, many rooted in the Soviet-era legacy, and others emerging from modern development pressures. The country faces desertification, flooding, frequent wildfires, and escalating urban air pollution, particularly in cities like Almaty, Pavlodar, and Karaganda. On June 5, the government announced the formation of a Biodiversity Protection Fund at a forum in Astana. Akylbek Kurishbayev, President of the National Academy of Sciences, emphasized the urgency of regional collaboration in biodiversity conservation amid intensifying climate and anthropogenic pressures. Deputy Minister Nurlan Kurmalayev highlighted biodiversity preservation as a key component of environmental security and sustainable land use, calling for cross-border cooperation. In parallel, the national initiative “Green Kazakhstan” is advancing afforestation efforts across urban and rural areas, alongside waste management programs, ecosystem restoration, energy efficiency campaigns, and public education on environmental stewardship. Environmental Disaster Zones: The Caspian and Aral Seas Two of Kazakhstan's most pressing ecological crises involve the shrinking Caspian and Aral Seas. The Caspian Sea's water levels are falling dramatically. According to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, levels in 2024 are expected to drop by 22 cm in the northeast and 29 cm in the eastern Kazakh sector compared to 2023. Scientists warn of continued decline due to reduced inflows from the Volga and Ural rivers and rising global temperatures. TCA has previously reported about mass die-outs of Caspian seals in recent years. Vadim Ni, founder of the Save the Caspian Sea movement, described the crisis as triple-faceted, climate, ecological, and economic. “Its level is falling at an unprecedented rate, 2 meters over the past 20 years. By century’s end, up to one-third of its surface could be lost,” he said, warning that the shallow northern shelf, vital to the ecosystem, is especially at risk. Pollution, overfishing, and unchecked oil extraction are cited as critical threats. In April 2025, Mazhilis Deputy Sergei Ponomarev addressed a parliamentary inquiry to Prime...