ASTANA – Kazakhstan has collected a record volume of over 75 billion cubic meters of water in its reservoirs this year, including a record 12 billion cubic meters of floodwater, the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation reported on Dec. 23.
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Correct management of floodwater distribution has helped to replenish not only reservoirs but also rivers, lakes, estuaries, natural pastures, and other areas suffering from water shortages in recent years.
Since the beginning of the year, Lake Balkhash has received 15.4 billion cubic meters of water, including 3.3 billion cubic meters from floodwaters, marking an increase of four billion cubic meters compared to last year.
The Caspian Sea gained 17 billion cubic meters of water. For the first time in ten years, the Qapshagai Reservoir in the Almaty Region was filled, collecting over 18 billion cubic meters of water.
Kamys-Samar Lakes in the West Kazakhstan Region benefited from 80 million cubic meters of floodwater. The Kyzylorda Region received 839 million cubic meters of water from the Ulytau Region, reaching lake systems via the Sarysu River for the first time in history.
The Northern Aral Sea gained approximately 2.5 billion cubic meters of water, 400 million more than in 2023. Water-saving technologies helped farmers in the Kyzylorda Region conserve 200 million cubic meters of water, redirected to the Northern Aral Sea.
More than 4.7 billion cubic meters of water were sent to the Kyzylorda Region’s lake systems this year, compared to nearly 4.3 billion cubic meters in 2023.
