ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 20. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for the development of an accurate map of the country’s water and energy resources to strengthen the reliability of the national energy system, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh president.
Speaking at the fifth session of the National Kurultai, Tokayev said that water resources represent an important reserve for ensuring energy security, but their potential is not being fully utilized. He noted that existing assessments of Kazakhstan’s hydropower potential date back to the Soviet period and are now outdated.
The president stressed the need to urgently conduct an objective assessment of the country’s actual hydropower capacity and to prepare a reliable map of Kazakhstan’s water and energy resources. He emphasized that time is of the essence and that the preparation of these documents should not hinder the accelerated development of hydropower.
Tokayev also instructed the government and the Samruk-Kazyna Fund to address the issue of transferring hydrotechnical facilities to trust management in order to improve their operational efficiency.
Kazakhstan possesses abundant energy resources, including coal, oil, and natural gas, and is the largest global producer of uranium. While fossil fuels dominate energy generation, the government aims to increase renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydro by 2030/2050. Water resources rely heavily on transboundary rivers and groundwater but face significant challenges such as pollution, salinity, and climate-related events like floods and droughts.
A new Water Code introduced in 2024 seeks to ensure sustainable management of water as an economic asset. The country is also transitioning towards lower-carbon energy sources to meet rising demand and carbon neutrality goals by 2060.
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