BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 19. The volume of water in the North Aral Sea reached 23.40 billion cubic meters as of August 10, 2026, according to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
The volume of water in the North Aral Sea stood at 18.9 billion cubic meters in 2022, increasing to 20.49 billion cubic meters in 2023 and 22.08 billion cubic meters in 2024. In 2025, the volume reached 22.85 billion cubic meters.
Since October 1, 2025, around 1.2 billion cubic meters of water has been directed into the North Aral Sea through the Syr Darya River. During the current growing season, water is flowing into the sea at a rate of 14 cubic meters per second. The flow is expected to gradually increase to 100–150 cubic meters per second by the end of the growing season.
"To preserve the North Aral Sea, the ministry is implementing a number of projects, including the automation of water accounting in the Syr Darya River basin and the reconstruction of hydraulic structures. Cooperation with neighboring countries is also being strengthened. For example, last year, an agreement was signed with the Republic of Uzbekistan on the joint management and rational use of transboundary water facilities, which was the result of a decade-long negotiation process," First Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurlan Aldamzharov said.
In addition, irrigation systems in the Aral-Syrdarya basin are being modernized and automated to improve water efficiency.
The second phase of the project to preserve the North Aral Sea and reconstruct the Kokaral Dam envisages further improvements in the water body's key indicators. The project aims to increase the water volume to 34 billion cubic meters, raise the water level to 44 meters according to the Baltic elevation system, and expand the surface area of the water body to 3,913 square kilometers.
