Photo: Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 18. Kazakhstan is set to modernize water infrastructure in the Abay and East Kazakhstan regions.

This was announced by the press service of the country's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation

According to the ministry, under the initiative, a pool of 24 projects has been formed to reconstruct reservoirs and canals in the two regions.

''The project has received a positive conclusion as a state investment project, paving the way for financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Construction and installation works are scheduled for 2027-2029,'' the ministry says.

The measures are included in Kazakhstan's Concept for the Development of the Water Resources Management System until 2030.

''The large-scale project is aimed at modernizing water infrastructure in the eastern regions of Kazakhstan. This will help ensure efficient management of water resources, including transboundary resources, strengthen the protection of settlements during floods, and contribute to the development of industry and agriculture in the East Kazakhstan and Abay regions,'' said Sagi Utelov, Director of the Department for Development of Water Infrastructure at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.

In addition, using funds saved under a joint project with the EBRD to rehabilitate irrigation networks, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is carrying out concrete lining works on 14 canals in the Zhambyl region. The total length of the canals is 85.5 kilometers.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is accelerating a massive overhaul of its water sector to tackle climate pressures, high agricultural waste, and aging facilities. Led by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the nation has cut long-delayed infrastructure projects by 47%, launched large-scale canal automation, and achieved 100% basic drinking water access across all cities and villages.