ALMATY – The Kazakh government has approved a list of water bodies classified as having special national significance and introduced new regulations governing economic activities in these areas on Aug. 23, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
Photo credi: Ministry of Ecolody and Natural Resources
The list includes both surface and underground water resources that play a critical role in the country’s ecology, economy and drinking water supply. Among the surface water bodies designated as nationally significant are the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea, Lake Balkhash, Lake Zaysan, the Alakol lake system, as well as the major rivers Irtysh and Zhaiyk.
The underground water reserves include key deposits such as the Alma-Ata underground water field and the Gorny Gigant (Malo-Almatinsky) aquifer near Almaty.
According to the government, these sites have been granted special status because of their strategic importance for drinking water supply, environmental sustainability and regional economic stability.
The primary goals of the new regulations are to establish an effective system of water resource management tailored to the natural characteristics of each site, ensure compliance with environmental standards, monitor human impact and prevent harmful natural processes affecting water ecosystems.
The document also imposes restrictions on activities that could harm these water bodies. It bans unauthorized extraction of natural resources, uncontrolled industrial and agricultural projects, and any form of pollution, including the discharge of untreated wastewater, toxic chemicals, pesticides or oil products.
Construction, farming and drilling activities in and around these zones will require prior approval from the basin water inspection authorities. Similarly, the establishment of landfills, cemeteries, animal burial sites and other facilities that pose contamination risks is prohibited within protected areas.
