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The sun rises over the Syr Darya River near the town of Baikonur, Kazakhstan. / EPA, Yonhap

Kazakhstan is undertaking a sweeping overhaul of its national water management system to address climate change-induced droughts, floods, and agricultural water shortages.

According to local news agency Kazinform, the Kazakh government disclosed outcomes on the 4th regarding its 2024–2030 Concept for the Development of the Water Resources Management System and the 2024–2028 Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Water Resources Sector, which center on building 42 new reservoirs, reconstructing 37 existing ones, and modernizing 14,500 kilometers of irrigation canals by 2030.

Under the initiative, the new reservoirs will store an additional 2.6 billion cubic meters of water, while the reconstruction of existing facilities will secure roughly 3.7 billion cubic meters in storage capacity.

Key priorities outlined in the 2024–2030 development plan include enhancing water-use efficiency, modernizing water infrastructure, adapting to climate change, digitizing water resource data, and bolstering transboundary water cooperation. Mitigating flood and drought risks exacerbated by climate change and expanding water supplies for the agricultural sector remain the core objectives.

Kazakhstan began accelerating water infrastructure reforms in earnest following the worst flooding the nation had experienced in 80 years in 2024. The country established a relevant legal foundation by enforcing a new Water Code last year and stepping up protections for water bodies, including small rivers and lakes.

Efforts are also focused on curtailing agricultural waste. According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, farmland utilizing water-saving irrigation technologies expanded to 543,500 hectares in 2025, saving approximately 874 million cubic meters of irrigation water.

The government aims to expand the application of water-saving irrigation technologies to 1.3 million hectares by 2030. To support this goal, 228 billion tenge (approximately 684 billion won) will be allocated from the state budget between 2026 and 2028—more than quadruple the amount allocated over the previous three-year period. State subsidies covering farmers' costs for adopting water-saving technologies have also been raised up to 80%.

The modernization of irrigation canals is likewise proceeding. Between 2024 and 2025, 1,458 kilometers of canals were reconstructed and upgraded, with work currently underway on more than 4,600 kilometers. In 2026, an additional 962 kilometers are slated for completion, which will improve water supplies to around 200,000 hectares of irrigated farmland.

Substantial investments continue to pour into the sector. According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, fixed-asset investment in water resources reached 676.7 billion tenge (approximately 2.03 trillion won) during 2024–2025, marking a 79% surge compared to the preceding two-year period.

In addition, the government is preparing to construct three new reservoirs—Akmola in Zhambyl Region, Karauzyak in Kyzylorda Region, and Bolshoi Uzen in West Kazakhstan Region—utilizing loans from the Islamic Development Bank. Plans are also underway to reconstruct the Koksarai Reservoir in Turkestan Region.

Sharing transboundary river systems with China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia, Kazakhstan is actively conducting negotiations with neighboring nations regarding water use and quota allocations. Notably, Astana has signed an agreement with Uzbekistan on the joint management and rational use of transboundary water resources.

The improvements in water governance are yielding tangible results across major water bodies, including the Aral Sea. By adjusting reservoir operations along the Syr Darya River to maintain a steady inflow into the Northern Aral Sea, the water volume of the Northern Aral Sea rose from 18.4 billion cubic meters in early 2023 to 23.5 billion cubic meters recently.

In 2024, more than 75 billion cubic meters of water accumulated in reservoirs nationwide. Of this total, 15.4 billion cubic meters were directed to Lake Balkhash, and 2.5 billion cubic meters flowed into the Northern Aral Sea.

Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan, remarked, "Water resources policy has recently shifted from laying institutional and strategic foundations to implementing large-scale infrastructure modernization and establishing a new management framework. Moving forward, the priority is to execute the planned projects in a timely manner to deliver tangible benefits for national water security, agriculture, the broader economy, and the everyday lives of our citizens."

                                                                                                             Kim Min-gyu