Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, met with Dana Kadyrbek, a student of Almaty Gymnasium No. 79, who developed an innovative device that collects water from the atmosphere using advanced nanomaterials, Kazinform reports.
The installation can efficiently absorb and condense moisture from the air, operating fully autonomously without the need for an electrical power supply.
Following the meeting, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the young inventor signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. The document outlines an analysis of the device’s effectiveness, a pilot launch, data exchange, and an assessment of scaling opportunities.
Nurzhan Nurzhigitov instructed the Ministry’s Department of Science and Innovation to provide maximum support during the pilot phase. The minister also presented Dana Kadyrbek with a letter of appreciation and a valuable gift.
“It is encouraging to see talented young people actively addressing water conservation and offering unique solutions. We have been monitoring this development for some time. Its ability to collect water from the air even at low humidity levels opens significant prospects for practical use, especially in remote regions. The use of modern nanomaterials and solar energy makes it an important example of ‘green’ innovation,” the minister noted.
Dana Kadyrbek’s project has already received high recognition at international and national competitions. It took first place among participants from 36 countries and more than 2,000 competitors at the WICO exhibition in South Korea, and won the YISF international science fair in Indonesia. It was also recognized at a KazNU conference and at the Kazakhstan Smart Space competition.
The device additionally made it into the top ten semifinalists of the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP), implemented jointly with UNIDO, after being selected from more than 500 applications across Kazakhstan.
“The meeting left a strong impression on me. The Ministry’s support gives me additional motivation to continue my research. Thanks to the minister’s instructions, we can now begin field testing and start piloting the project,” Dana Kadyrbek emphasized.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 8, 2025