Government of Kazakhstan considers water industry development plans

The plans for integrated water sector development were considered at the Water Council of Kazakhstan session, chaired by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov.

The Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Serikkali Brekeshev reported that in pursuance of the tasks indicated by the Head of State in the recent Address to the Nation, a three-year integrated water sector development plan is being prepared.

Within its framework development of a new Water Code has been started, it is planned to strengthen the position of Kazakhstan in the negotiation process on transboundary rivers and to approve the Concept of Water Resources Management Development for 2023-2030.

Besides, mechanisms will be developed to stimulate agricultural producers to use water-saving irrigation technologies, reconstruction of water infrastructure and construction of water reservoirs will be intensified and the Unified System of Digital Water Metering on main and inter-farm irrigation canals will be developed.

It is also planned to strengthen the Kazakh Scientific and Research Institute of Water Economy and determine it as a sectoral scientific center for water resources problems, as well as determine a basic university for training of in-demand specialists in the water sector.

Prime Minister supported these approaches and noted importance of qualitative study of each direction. In this case, Alikhan Smailov instructed to accelerate the development of the new plan for the industry and submit it for consideration in November this year.

"It is necessary to develop effective mechanisms to stimulate water saving, to conduct reconstruction and construction of reservoirs step by step. It is definitely necessary to expand work on digitalization and automation of water management, as it is one of the main ways to improve efficiency in this area," Alikhan Smailov said.

The participants of the meeting also considered topical issues of implementation of joint projects with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on rehabilitation of irrigation systems in Aktobe, Zhambyl and Turkestan regions.

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