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Aral Sea

Kazakhstan and World Bank Launch Second Phase to Revive Northern Aral Sea

In partnership with the World Bank, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan has launched the second phase of a long-term initiative to restore the Northern Aral Sea. This stage aims to revive the region’s ecosystem and enhance the quality of life for local communities. Feasibility Study Underway Key objectives of this phase include reconstructing the Kokaral Dam and raising the sea level to 44 meters, measured using the Baltic height system. Plans also call for constructing a water control facility near the village of Amanotkel, designed to regulate water distribution within the Akshatau and Kamystybas lake systems in Kyzylorda Region’s Aral District. A technical feasibility study is expected to be completed by December 2025. Once implemented, these measures are projected to expand the Northern Aral Sea’s surface area to 3,913 square kilometers, increasing its total water volume to 34 cubic kilometers. The full refill process is anticipated to take four to five years, based on hydrological data from the Syr Darya River basin covering the period 1913-2019. Strategic Decisions on Dam Reconstruction The current conservation strategy was finalized following consultations with local authorities and water management experts. Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov stated that the plan reflects the region’s actual hydrological conditions and was selected for its balance of timeliness and efficacy. “We evaluated multiple implementation options. Discussions with residents and industry veterans helped guide our decision. The final plan was deemed optimal after all relevant factors were considered,” Nurzhigitov said. Sameh Wahba, the World Bank’s Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, underscored the project’s ecological and economic significance. He confirmed that the World Bank not only funded the feasibility study but remains committed to supporting the project through its next stages. According to Wahba, the initiative is expected to create jobs and stimulate sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism. Progress Achieved in the First Phase The first phase of the rescue effort has already delivered tangible benefits. Water volume in the Northern Aral Sea has risen by 42%, reaching 27 billion cubic meters, while salinity has dropped nearly fourfold. Annual fish yields have climbed to 8,000 tons. In 2024 alone, a record 2.6 billion cubic meters of water were channeled into the sea, with 1 billion cubic meters allocated for irrigation. Beyond water volume and quality, the project aims to revitalize the Syr Darya River delta, curb salt deposition, and bolster the fishing industry. Employment opportunities and improved living conditions for local populations are also key targets. Long-Term Threats to Water Security The sustainability of these efforts may be challenged by regional developments. During the international conference “Water Security and Transboundary Water Use: Challenges and Solutions” in Astana, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Aslan Abdraimov, warned of the potential impact of Afghanistan’s Kosh-Tepa Canal on Central Asian water systems. Despite the absence of a direct border between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan, Abdraimov stated that the canal could eventually reduce the flow of the Syr Darya River. “No sharp fluctuations...

Water

Video: Meet Marziya Aitzhanova, the Woman Helping To Bring Purified Water to Shymkent

The Times of Central Asia spoke to Marziya Aitzhanova, who is helping to bring purified water to Shymkent as part of the growing number of women in management positions in New Kazakhstan. “We purify two kinds of water,” she told TCA, “one desalinated and the other chemically purified. The first goes to the boiler and turbine, and the second goes to the city for heating.” [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://timesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Конкурс-2-ролик-1.mp4"][/video]

Water

Underground Tunnel Proposed to Channel Water from Black Sea to Caspian Sea

Azerbaijan’s ADOG company, in partnership with Zira Sea Port, has proposed an ambitious plan to construct an underground tunnel linking the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. The goal is to counteract the rapid decline in the Caspian’s water level, which presents mounting environmental, economic, and infrastructural risks for the five littoral states. According to the analytical portal Minval Politika, the project envisions a 10-meter diameter tunnel connecting the Black Sea, either from the Georgian or Russian coastline, to the Caspian Sea. Engineers propose using the natural elevation difference between the two bodies of water to enable gravity-fed flow from the Black Sea into the Caspian, eliminating the need for pumps. ADOG has stated that the proposed project would undergo comprehensive environmental monitoring and include measures to preserve biodiversity in both marine ecosystems. The company has expressed readiness to begin a feasibility study and initiate the mobilization of necessary resources. Project proponents have submitted a request for the initiative to be considered at the state level and are calling for the launch of preliminary intergovernmental consultations. The urgency behind the proposal is grounded in alarming recent data. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the Caspian Sea has been shrinking at a faster-than-expected rate. Environmental group Save The Caspian Sea reports that the sea level has dropped by two meters in the past 18 years, with projections warning of a further decline of up to 18 meters by 2100 if current trends continue. Such a drop could have catastrophic consequences for regional biodiversity, fisheries, port infrastructure, and climate stability, evoking fears of an ecological disaster akin to the desiccation of the Aral Sea. While the proposed tunnel remains at a conceptual stage, its geopolitical and environmental implications will likely generate serious debate among the Caspian littoral states: Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan.

Water

Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan Reach Deal to Share Chashma Water Spring

Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have reached an agreement to jointly use the Chashma water spring, located along their shared border. According to Uzbekistan’s government portal, both countries have confirmed the main terms of the agreement, ensuring that Uzbek citizens can access the spring freely. They also agreed not to undertake any actions that would hinder full use of the spring by citizens of either side. The agreement was reached during a meeting held in Tashkent on April 24, led by Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Kamchybek Tashiev. During the meeting, the delegations also approved a protocol concerning the final unsettled section of the border. Both sides emphasized that the Chashma spring is a shared treasure of the Uzbek and Kyrgyz peoples. Under the agreement, Uzbekistan will have access to two-thirds of the spring’s water. Any activities that could impact the quantity or quality of the water must be coordinated with the Uzbek side. The two countries also agreed to finalize and sign a comprehensive agreement on the joint use of the Chashma spring and the final demarcation of the state border as soon as possible. The talks were praised for helping to ease border crossings for citizens and goods. Both sides stressed the need to promptly update and sign a protocol to amend the 2004 agreement on border checkpoints to make cross-border travel more convenient for citizens. The delegations agreed to convene another meeting of the working groups soon. At the conclusion of the talks, a protocol summarizing the agreements was signed. The Chashma spring has been a sensitive issue in the past. In May 2020, a conflict erupted during a joint irrigation canal cleaning operation at the spring, resulting in injuries. According to Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry, 187 Uzbeks were injured, while Kyrgyzstan’s Health Ministry reported that 25 individuals were hospitalized.

Water

Water Level in Lake Balkhash Steadily Rising

Over the past year, the water level in Lake Balkhash has risen by 0.12 meters, and the volume of water has increased by 2 billion cubic meters, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. Located 175 miles northwest of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, Lake Balkhash is the world’s fifteenth-largest lake. In May 2024, reports indicated that Balkhash’s water level had risen by 0.23 meters since the start of the year, largely due to increased rainfall and snowmelt floods during spring. Since the beginning of 2025, 3.8 billion cubic meters of water have been released from the Kapchagay reservoir in Almaty region into Lake Balkhash. The lake’s water volume largely depends on the transboundary Ili River, which originates in China and supplies about 70% of Balkhash’s inflow. The river’s flow is regulated by the Kapchagay reservoir. This year, Lake Balkhash is expected to receive a total of 12 billion cubic meters of water from the reservoir. According to Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, the ministry will meet with French experts next week to begin preparations for a master plan to conserve Lake Balkhash through 2040. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that in December 2024, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation signed a cooperation agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Geological Survey (BRGM, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières) to preserve Lake Balkhash. Under the agreement, the French side will allocate a grant of 1.35 million euros to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to support the development of sustainable water management practices for the lake. The project includes a comprehensive study of the Lake Balkhash basin and the creation of a long-term preservation plan extending through 2040.

Water

Kazakhstan Advances Water Sector Reform at High-Level Coordination Meeting

On April 10, the Coordination Council of Partners for the Development of the Water Sector of Kazakhstan held its second official meeting in Astana, co-chaired by Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, and Katarzyna Wawiernia, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Kazakhstan. The Council, which first convened on September 30, 2024, comprises the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the UNDP, and more than 30 international partners, including financial institutions and global development organizations. At the meeting, participants reviewed the Council’s work over the past six months and discussed strategic priorities for sustainable water management. A key topic was the 2024-2030 Partnership Water Initiative, adopted in September 2024, which outlines long-term goals for resilience and innovation in the sector. Nurzhigitov discussed the Council’s role in forging productive cross-sector partnerships. “In just six months, we’ve reached concrete agreements and launched new projects with partner countries, development institutions, financial organizations, and major companies. The Ministry has signed three agreements and sixteen memorandums with international partners from the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, the USA, Israel, China, the Islamic Development Bank, the Eurasian Development Bank, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and UNDP,” he said. New Agreements Signed at the Meeting Five new cooperation agreements were concluded during the session: The Ministry signed a communiqué with Spain’s Xcalibur Smart Mapping to carry out underground water resource mapping in western Kazakhstan A Statement of Intent was signed with the Islamic Development Bank and UNDP to bolster the technical capacity of Kazakhstan’s water sector, with a focus on digitalization, flood forecasting, climate resilience, and policy development An agreement between the Ministry’s Information and Analytical Center for Water Resources and the Eurasian Development Bank established a grant to develop a National Water Resources Information System by 2026. The project aims to increase transparency, efficiency, and equity in water distribution Kazvodkhoz, the Ministry’s national enterprise, signed a communiqué with PowerChina International to expand cooperation, including training seminars in China for Kazakhstani specialists (the first group of 30 participants is already attending a two-week program) Kazvodkhoz also signed a memorandum of cooperation with Primus Capital Almaty LLP, aimed at developing small hydropower plants at national water facilities A Long-Term Challenge Kazakhstan has long faced serious water-related challenges from the shrinking Aral Sea, driven by reduced transboundary river flows, to destructive spring floods and chronic irrigation shortages in the southern regions. These challenges highlight the urgency of coordinated, international engagement and innovation in water governance.