Kazakhstan to send record water volumes to the Aral Sea

Kazakhstan has announced plans to send a record amount of water to the Aral Sea, as reported by TengriNews, citing the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan.  

The initiative aims to preserve the ecosystem, increase water transfers to the North Aral Sea, and promote its re-greening.  

"From October 2024 to January 2025, 1 billion cubic meters of water was directed to the North Aral Sea, which is 100 million cubic meters more than initially planned. Thanks to agreements with Central Asian countries, the total volume of water delivered will reach 1.6 billion cubic meters by the end of March 2025," the ministry stated.  

At the beginning of 2022, the North Aral Sea held 18.9 billion cubic meters of water. As of today, the volume has risen to 22.1 billion cubic meters, with projections estimating it will reach 23.4 billion cubic meters by the end of 2025.  

Officials emphasize that the rising water levels and surface area of the North Aral Sea will help reduce water salinity and restore fish populations, particularly 22 species native to the region.  

"Currently, the North Aral Sea spans 3,065 square kilometers, an increase of 111 square kilometers since early 2022," the ministry added.  

Kazakhstan is also completing the "Preservation of the Kokaral Dam and Restoration of the Syrdarya Delta" project. The Kokaral Dam, which separates the North and Greater Aral Seas, is set to be fully reconstructed by the end of 2025, ensuring long-term water retention and lower mineralization levels.  

It is also worth noting that on February 5, a bilateral agreement was signed between Uzbekistan’s Minister of Water Resources, Shavkat Khamroyev, and Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurjigitov. Under this deal, Uzbekistan has agreed to transfer 16 billion cubic meters of water to Kazakhstan by October 1, 2025. 

                                                                          Bunyod Keldibayev