ALMATY — Kazakhstan has attracted 579 billion tenge (approximately US$1.08 billion) in investments into fixed capital in the water sector over the past two years, as the country accelerates large-scale modernization of water infrastructure and digital water management, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said at a press briefing in Astana on Dec. 19.
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov described Kazakhstan’s modernization of water infrastructure. Photo credit: gov.kz
According to the ministry, 145 water infrastructure projects are currently being implemented nationwide, while design and feasibility documentation are being prepared for nearly 300 additional facilities. In 2025, Kazakhstan completed the reconstruction of the Kyzylagash Reservoir in the Almaty region and the Charsk Reservoir in the Abai region, alongside the first stage of large-scale dredging at the Astana Reservoir.
Reconstruction work is nearing completion at the Kapchagay Reservoir in the Turkistan region, while the Kirov Reservoir in West Kazakhstan is undergoing its first major overhaul in 58 years. In addition, the Furmanov bypass canal on the Shu River is being mechanically cleaned for the first time in four decades.
Construction continues on the Karakuis and Baidibek-Ata reservoirs in the Turkistan region, with completion scheduled for 2026. Once operational, they will allow the accumulation of an additional 69 million cubic meters of water. Repair work at the Koksarai counter-regulator has also been completed, increasing its storage capacity to 2 billion cubic meters.
By the end of the year, more than 700 kilometers of irrigation networks that have undergone repair and reconstruction are expected to be commissioned.
Investment, technology, and water efficiency
The ministry reported that 13 group water pipelines will be commissioned, providing a centralized water supply to 224 settlements with a combined population of more than 469,000 people. Of these, 43 settlements, home to around 32,000 residents, will receive a centralized water supply for the first time.
Over the past two years, Kazakhstan has signed seven international agreements and more than 30 memorandums of understanding with foreign partners in the water sector. The pace of adopting water-saving technologies has increased severalfold, reaching 150,000 hectares per year, with total irrigated land using such systems expanding to 543,500 hectares. By 2030, Kazakhstan aims to increase this figure to 1.3 million hectares.
To support these goals, the national budget for 2026–2028 allocates more than 228 billion tenge (US$426 million) to water-saving technologies.
Equipment upgrades and workforce development
As part of sector modernization, the ministry has launched procurement of 757 specialized machinery and vehicles for Kazvodkhoz branches, with 576 units already delivered. Under the Water Sector Roadmap through 2028, construction and equipment procurement have begun for the modernization of the Kanysh Satpayev Canal, including the purchase of 17 transformers and repairs to 19 pumping units.
To improve workforce retention and the sector’s attractiveness, Kazvodkhoz increased salaries by 35–50% starting July 1. More than 1,000 water management specialists completed advanced training courses this year, while 2,731 students are currently enrolled in water-related academic programs.
Concluding the briefing, Nurzhigitov said the reforms aim to ensure efficient, rational water use, emphasizing that water security is critical to Kazakhstan’s long-term economic sustainability and public welfare.
