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Water

Drip Irrigation Equipment Plant To Open In South Kazakhstan

A factory that will produce components for drip irrigation systems is to open in the town of Konaev, Almaty region. The plant is a joint project between Kazakh and Chinese investors, and is expected to make components for up to 500 hectares of fields per week. A similar plant is also planned for the other southern city of Taraz. Drip irrigation in Kazakhstan is currently used on only 84,000 hectares of agricultural land, but the government is aiming to increase this figure to 312,000 hectares. To encourage farmers to use water-saving technologies, the government is increasing subsidies for building irrigation systems, and buying drip and sprinkler irrigation equipment, from 50% to 80% of their costs respectively.

Water

World Bank Provides Additional Support For Rural Water Services In Kyrgyzstan

On January 31st the World Bank’s executive board approved $7.64m in additional financing for its ‘Sustainable Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Development’ project in Kyrgyzstan. This funding tops up the World Bank’s earlier commitment of $59.5m for the project, aimed at improving water supply and sanitation services in rural communities. Naveed Hassan Naqvi, the World Bank’s country manager for Kyrgyzstan, said that the project will improve the quality of life of rural citizens, especially women, children and the most vulnerable, and will bring a major decrease in water-borne diseases. The total combined investments under the project are expected to reach 94 villages in the Osh, Chui and Issyk-Kul regions, and directly benefit some 200,000 people, the World Bank said. The project funds the construction and rehabilitation of 57 climate-resilient water supply subprojects, aiming to enhance both climate adaptation and mitigation by diversifying water supply sources, increasing storage capacity, replacing key assets and installing water meters. It will also retrofit sanitary facilities in 99 social institutions and provide small grants to 1,350 households to upgrade their sanitation facilities. The project will also enhance national and local institutional capacity for sustainable service delivery and climate-informed sector reforms, including the revision of water supply and sanitation laws. Odete Muximpua, the World Bank’s senior water supply and sanitation specialist, commented: “The second additional financing will address the financing gap caused by increased construction material prices as a result of the economic crisis. It will also allow for an increase in the size of grants to poor households in all project villages to finance the upgrades of their sanitation facilities.”

Water

Kazakhstan Improves Its Water Infrastructure

The government of Kazakhstan has approved the development of a water resources management system for 2024-2030. Speaking at a meeting on January 30th, the minister for water resources and irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, said that his department plans to build 20 new and reconstruct 15 existing reservoirs, as well as modernize over 14,000km of irrigation canals and hydraulic structures. Mr Nurzhigitov added that irrigation water losses during transportation should be reduced from the current 50% to 25%, which will make it possible to increase the area of irrigated land in the country to 2.5 million hectares by 2030. To encourage farmers to use water-saving technologies, subsidies for creating irrigation systems and buying drip and sprinkler irrigation equipment will be increased from 50% to 80% of their costs respectively. Prime minister Alikhan Smailov, who chaired the meeting, emphasized the importance of the rational use of water. He pointed out that the Big Almaty Canal, for instance, had not been repaired in the 40 years of its existence. In the country’s Turkestan, Kyzylorda and Zhambyl regions most of the main and inter-farm canals are in a worn-out condition, with water losses reaching 40%. Mr Smailov also pointed out that water-saving systems in the country are currently being introduced only slowly. Drip irrigation is currently used on as little as 84,000 hectares out of the planned 312,000. Kazakhstan, especially its dry southern and eastern regions, is largely dependent on irrigation water coming from its upstream neighbors, Kyrgyzstan and China.

Water

Kazakhstan Needs Better Agricultural Technology

Over the past five years Kazakhstan has introduced water-saving technologies on a greater part of its agricultural land. Since 2019 this area has been expanded by 33%, from 210,000 hectares to 312,000 hectares in 2023, deputy minister of agriculture Amangaliy Berdalin said at a government meeting on January 22nd. He added that this year 1.58 million hectares of irrigated land are being cultivated in Kazakhstan. Of these, 1.1 million hectares, or 74% of the land, are surface irrigated (using canals and ditches), 97,900 hectares are flooded rice fields, 227,300 hectares (14.3%) use modern irrigation equipment, and 97,900 hectares (6.2%) use drip irrigation. However, at the same meeting the deputy minister of water resources and irrigation, Nurlan Aldamzharov, commented that the share of water consumption by agriculture today only accounts for 65% of the total water intake in Kazakhstan, and irrigation is impeded by large water losses, especially in the country’s dry southern regions. “In 2023, out of 1.8 million hectares of irrigated land, water-saving technologies were used on as little as 17% (312,000 hectares), which is extremely unacceptable in the current realities,” the deputy minister emphasized.

Water Bilateral Relations

President Japarov: Kyrgyzstan Should Provide Irrigation Water to Kazakhstan

A UN resolution obliges upstream countries, including Kyrgyzstan, to provide water to downstream states, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said on December 16th at the second People’s Kurultai (Congress) in Bishkek. Answering questions from the Kurultai delegates, the president said that the water problem would be solved through the construction of so-called ten-day and daily regulation pools. Such reservoirs will allow for the accumulation of water in winter and for it to be freely shared with neighbors downstream. The president said that Kyrgyzstan does not have a sufficient number of reservoirs, and, therefore, this year there was not enough water to supply to Kazakhstan. This past summer, the southern regions of Kazakhstan experienced a severe shortage of irrigation water for their fields. The construction of such reservoirs, the president explained, will meet the needs of Kyrgyzstan and, in addition, there will also be enough water to supply to downstream neighbors. The president also announced plans to build reservoirs. The reservoir construction program will last until 2027, he said.

Water

USAID Increases Access to Clean Water in Sughd

According to a press release on its website, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has rehabilitated a drinking water supply system in Soycha Village of the Bobojon Gafurov District. The system will now provide 3,246 residents, including a medical facility, with safe drinking water. USAID provided technical assistance to improve the village’s water management capacities, support physical upgrades to the system, and work with the community to help them better understand the benefits of having clean water piped directly to their homes. At the inauguration of the supply system on October 6, USAID Tajikistan Mission Director Peter Riley said, “We believe that everyone has the right to clean drinking water. Today, we can celebrate a tangible improvement of the water supply system in Soycha Village. I have seen houses using water meters, and talked with households about what it means to have reliable access to water.” The U.S. Government will continue to increase access to safe drinking water across all regions of Tajikistan, the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan said. In the last five years, USAID has rehabilitated and constructed 25 drinking water supply systems throughout the country, providing more than 80,000 people with safe drinking water.