ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 12. Seventeen new reservoirs will be built in Kazakhstan, with projects already approved for a loan and grant totaling $2.7 billion from the Islamic Development Bank, said the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Nurzhigitov, during the government session in the Mazhilis, Trend reports.
According to him, given the scale of the work to be done and the capital required for the sector, active work is underway to attract investors.
“Today, the Board of Directors of the Islamic Development Bank has approved the provision of a loan and a grant totaling $2.7 billion. The project is planned to be implemented in two stages,” the minister said.
He also noted that, within the first stage, construction of four reservoirs will begin in 2025. Three of them — Akmola, Kalguty, and Karaozyak — are located in the south of the country and are intended for the irrigation of 22,500 hectares of new agricultural lands. The fourth, located on the Big Uzendy River in the West Kazakhstan region, will help retain floodwaters and protect two villages in the Kaztalovsky district, where about 5,000 people live, from flooding.
“The first stage also includes the reconstruction of the Ters-Ashybulak and Karakonyz reservoirs in the Zhambyl region, the Koksorgan reservoir, and the Koksaray counter-regulator in the Turkestan region. It is planned to modernize 115 canals with elements of digitalization, covering 3,452 kilometers in six regions (Almaty, Zhambyl, Zhetysu, West Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda, and Turkestan regions), as well as the construction of a facility for replenishing the Astana reservoir,” he added.
Moreover, funds are also allocated for works on the infrastructure of the utility companies "Turan Su" (in the Turkestan region) and "Almatyoblvodkhoz" (in the Almaty region).
“Additionally, it is planned to modernize over 5,000 kilometers of irrigation canals in 10 regions (Almaty, Atyrau, Abai, East Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, Zhetysu, West Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda, Pavlodar, and Turkestan). As a result of these works, the overall condition of water infrastructure will significantly improve. A significant reduction in the risk of flooding is also expected in 134 rural settlements, where more than 200,000 people live,” said Nurlan Nurzhigitov during the Government session in the Mazhilis.
Kazakhstan's second stage of the loan implementation, planned to begin in 2027, includes 25 projects, including the construction of 13 and the reconstruction of 11 reservoirs.
