At a government meeting on October 29, 2026, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov announced large-scale funding for the country's water management sector. Since September 2023, investments in fixed assets in the sector have amounted to approximately 1 trillion tenge (approximately $1.85 billion), Zakon.kz reported.
Over the past two years, over 1,400 kilometers of canals, 5 reservoirs, and 8 hydraulic structures have been reconstructed in the country.
Work is currently ongoing on 4,600 kilometers of irrigation networks; 964 kilometers are planned to be commissioned by the end of the year, improving water supply to 200,000 hectares of irrigated land. Kazakhstan is a country highly dependent on external hydrological sources: average annual river flow is approximately 100-102 km³. However, only 55% of this volume is generated domestically, with the remaining 45% arriving via transboundary waterways from China, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan.
Of the approximately 25 billion cubic meters of water used annually, approximately 70% is used for agriculture. Due to deteriorating irrigation infrastructure, up to 50% of the irrigation water is lost in canals before reaching the fields.
Attracting $1.85 billion in investment represents a turning point in Astana's state water policy.
In the face of climate change and a projected reduction in transboundary flow of 12-15 km³ by 2040, canal modernization is becoming a matter of food and economic security.
Halving water losses by 2030 will reduce the burden on ecosystems and redirect savings toward expanding irrigated land without increasing overall water withdrawals.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
October 29, 2026