ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 25. Japan will support Kazakhstan in responding to the declining water level in the Caspian Sea, Trend reports via Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.
A joint $3 million project is being launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan and the Government of Japan.
The initiative will be implemented jointly with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
The project is aimed at improving water resource management and monitoring, as well as strengthening cooperation between countries. It also seeks to enhance environmental resilience and support the development of sustainable water resource management in the important transport and ecological corridor linking Central Asia and the Caucasus.
The initiative aligns with the Japanese government’s efforts to support the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, announced during the “Central Asia + Japan” Dialogue and Summit held in December last year.
“The issue of changes in the Caspian Sea level is currently one of the most pressing challenges for the entire Caspian region. The continuing decline in sea level is having a complex impact on ecosystems, biodiversity, water resources, economic activity, and the well-being of populations in the Caspian coastal areas,” said Mansur Oshurbayev, Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan.
According to the ministry, the project will help strengthen cooperation among Caspian states in water resource management and joint response measures to declining water levels.
The focus will be placed on environmental data exchange, coordination of actions, and the development of monitoring systems, particularly in the vulnerable northern part of the Caspian Sea and river inflow areas.
Currently, with the support of the Government of Japan, UNDP in Kazakhstan is implementing three projects aimed at strengthening the safety of hydraulic structures, increasing urban resilience to disasters and climate change, and improving emergency preparedness in Central Asia.
The new initiative will become the fourth joint project within this partnership and is expected to further strengthen cooperation in disaster risk reduction and climate resilience.
