The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation summarized its work for 2025 and outlined plans for the current year.
By the end of the year, 53 infrastructure projects were completed, including the construction, reconstruction, and cleaning of 677 km of irrigation systems, the reconstruction of 4 reservoirs, the construction and modernization of 15 group water pipelines, and the reconstruction of 3 hydraulic structures.
In 2025, a new Water Code came into force. An intergovernmental agreement on the joint management of transboundary water bodies was signed between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Forty-six joint projects with the EBRD have been completed, involving the reconstruction of 502 km of canals. Nine projects are being implemented with the support of the Islamic Development Bank, reconstructing approximately 600 km of the planned 635 km of canals.
In collaboration with the World Bank, a project has been developed to improve the climate resilience of the Northern Aral Sea, aimed at modernizing the water management infrastructure of the Aral-Syr Darya basin.
In 2026, with the support of the Islamic Development Bank, the digitalization of 103 water channels in the south of the country will begin. A billing system for electronic irrigation water supply contracts is being piloted.
“The head of state declared 2026 the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, and this once again underscores the need to accelerate the digital transformation of key economic sectors. In this regard, we must move from plans to action, accelerate the pace, scale up successful pilot solutions, and ensure the commissioning of the National Water Resources Information System this year. A separate objective remains the digitization of at least 3,500 km of canals. By 2028, all canals must be fully digitized,” instructed Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev.
Currently, 277 settlements or 514 thousand people in the country are provided with a centralized water supply, including 73 settlements that previously did not have access to drinking water.
By the end of the year, 15 projects to reconstruct and modernize group water pipelines were completed, with nine planned. Twelve projects are planned for completion in 2026, providing high-quality drinking water to 142 rural communities with a population of approximately 540,000.
“In the context of the large-scale transformations taking place in the country, the draft new version of the Constitution, which was recently submitted for public debate, is particularly important. For water industry workers, these constitutional amendments create a solid legal foundation for improving water resource management, protecting the environment, and ensuring sustainable water supplies for the population and the economy. Our key strategic objective is to develop an effective, sustainable, and adaptive water resource management system capable of ensuring the country’s water security,” noted Kanat Bozumbayev.
The Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Ministry’s leadership to oversee all issues and problematic aspects identified during the Board meeting, including measures to combat the “black market,” implement water-saving technologies, and modernize infrastructure.
#Water resources #Kanat Bozumbayev
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