Viewing results 1 - 6 of 3
Since June 1, Tajikistan has sent 488.6 million cubic meters of water to Kazakhstan via the transboundary Dostyk canal. This is 40 million cubic meters more than in the entirety of last year, and is already 45 million cubic meters more than the volume planned for this year, the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation announced on August 27. During his state visit to Tajikistan on August 22, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the importance of cooperation with Tajikistan in the water sector and the rational use of resources of transboundary rivers of Central Asia. Kazakhstan’s agriculture, especially in the dry southern regions, depends on irrigation water supplies from upstream Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, since April 1, Uzbekistan has sent over 4 billion cubic meters of water to Kazakhstan via the Syr Darya River. Kyrgyzstan has committed to supply Kazakhstan with 180 million cubic meters of water via the transboundary Shu River, and 380 million cubic meters via the Talas River.
Israeli companies have expressed interest in participating in the construction and reconstruction of reservoirs in Kazakhstan as well as their readiness to provide the country with modern flood forecasting and protection systems. The announcement was made during a meeting on August 8 between Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, and a consortium of leading Israeli companies in the field of water resources management, headed by Managing Partner of Value LBH and Chairman of the Board of the investment company Dan Capital, Shimon Ben-Hamo. Discussions focused on potential cooperation in various areas of the water industry, from the construction and reconstruction of water facilities to joint personnel training, as well as the introduction of water-saving technologies, water purification and reuse, drinking water quality control, and automation of water distribution and metering. Reporting on the meeting, Minister Nurzhigitov commented: "Israeli companies have extensive experience and modern technologies for high-quality water management. Some companies have been successfully operating in Kazakhstan for a long time. We intend to achieve the most efficient water use in all sectors, so we count on mutually beneficial cooperation.” The Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation plans to build 20 new reservoirs with a 2.5 billion cubic meters capacity by 2030. Once completed, the project will reduce the country’s dependence on water flowing from upstream Kyrgyzstan and China by 25%, help combat drought in southern Kazakhstan, and reduce the threat of flooding in 70 rural settlements with a total population of nearly 140 thousand people. In addition, irrigation will be provided for a further 250 thousand hectares of farmland. Plans are also in place to reconstruct 15 existing reservoirs with a total capacity of 1.9 billion cubic meters.
The exchange of experience and technologies to reduce water loss during the transportation and irrigation of crops was discussed at a meeting between the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, and the Iranian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Ali Akbar Joukar. Iranian companies expressed their readiness to provide Kazakhstan with modern irrigation systems, including groundwater and automatic drip irrigation systems that deliver moisture directly to plants' roots. Introducing these technologies in Iran has significantly reduced water consumption in rice cultivation, while increasing yields. "We have already started large-scale work on constructing and reconstructing reservoirs and other water management facilities. Iranian companies have rich experience in this field and are developing effective technologies, some of which are already working in Kazakhstan. For example, irrigation networks are being reconstructed in Zhambyl and Turkestan provinces. Therefore, I would like to invite businessmen from Iran to our country to participate in tenders for the construction and repair of water infrastructure," Nurzhigitov stated.
