ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 26. Approximately 1.6 billion cubic meters of water are planned to be directed into the Aral Sea by April 2025, Trend reports.
This was announced during a reception for citizens by the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, where issues related to the conservation of the Aral Sea were raised.
"Since the beginning of the year, about 2 billion cubic meters of water have been directed into the North Aral Sea. Currently, the total volume of water in the sea has reached 22 billion cubic meters. In addition to water diplomacy and close cooperation with our colleagues from Central Asian countries, the introduction of water-saving technologies plays an important role in filling the sea. Thanks to these technologies, this year, farmers in the Kyzylorda region saved 200 million cubic meters of water, which was also directed into the North Aral Sea," noted Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
From October 2023 through April 2024, approximately 1.3 billion cubic meters of water were directed into the Aral Sea, and a total of 2 billion cubic meters have been directed since the beginning of the year.
To note, following negotiations with neighboring countries in Turkmenistan, the minister agreed that 11 billion cubic meters of water would be directed to the Shardara Reservoir by April 1. This will allow the necessary volume of water to be accumulated for the 2025 irrigation season in the southern part of the country.