Northern Aral is reviving: Kazakhstan has directed billions of cubic meters of water
Tengrinews.kz – Kazakhstan is ahead of schedule in the restoration of the Northern Aral Sea.
According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, under the Water Resources Management System Development Concept, the volume of water in the Northern Aral Sea has increased to 24.1 billion cubic meters from 2023 to the present. During this period, 5 billion cubic meters of water have been directed into the sea.
Initially, it was planned to reach 20.6 billion cubic meters by 2025, and the overall long-term plan foresaw an increase to 27 billion cubic meters by 2030.
“The achievement of the target indicators of the Water Resources Management System Development Concept, in terms of increasing the volume of the Northern Aral, is progressing ahead of schedule. The current figures were initially projected for 2029,” said Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
He added that, within the framework of a World Bank grant, a feasibility study is being developed for a project to preserve the Northern Aral Sea. One of the options being considered is raising the height of the Kokaral Dam by 2 meters and constructing a hydraulic complex to stabilize water levels in the Akshatau and Kamystybas lake systems.
“The project is aimed at increasing the volume and improving the quality of water in the Northern Aral, restoring the Syr Darya River delta, reducing salt sediment outflow from the sea bottom, developing the fishing industry in the Kyzylorda region, and improving the living conditions of local residents,” said Minister Nurzhigitov.
As a reminder, in his Address to the Nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the positive experience of restoring the Aral Sea. He noted that in 20 years of systematic efforts, the surface area of the Northern Aral grew by 36%, the water volume nearly doubled, and salinity decreased by half. However, the President stressed that efforts to raise water levels in the Aral Sea must continue actively.