Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan launch new phase of North Aral Sea restoration

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have reached an agreement to significantly expand the surface area and water volume of the North Aral Sea over the next four to five years.

Under the plan, the area of the reservoir is expected to increase to nearly 4,000 square kilometres, while its total water volume is projected to reach 34 cubic kilometres.

According to Caliber.Az, citing local media, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, announced the initiative during a government meeting. He noted that in just the past two years, the volume of water in the North Aral Sea has already grown from 18.4 to 23 cubic kilometres.

A key factor in the ongoing restoration of the sea is an intergovernmental agreement between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which guarantees a stable inflow of water even in years with low water availability. This arrangement enables both countries to plan and implement long-term measures to maintain and gradually raise the water level.

At present, work is nearing completion on the development of the second phase of the North Aral Sea conservation project. This phase includes the reconstruction of the Kokaral Dam and raising the water level to 44 meters.

In parallel, Kazakhstan is upgrading its irrigation infrastructure. A total of 167 water-management projects are being carried out in the Turkestan and Kyzylorda regions. In addition, the introduction of water-saving technologies across more than 143,000 hectares has already resulted in savings of around 500 million cubic meters of water.

Nurzhigitov emphasised that preserving the North Aral Sea is not only an environmental priority but also a matter of public health, sustainable regional development, and responsibility to future generations.

By Tamilla Hasanova