Kazakh ministry advises planting less water-intensive crops
Kazakhstan may experience hydrological droughts from May to July this year, according to Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
Government discusses water consumption and irrigation challenges in agriculture
Speaking at a government meeting on Tuesday, Nurzhigitov highlighted that agriculture consumes more than 60% of the country's total water resources. He noted that five southern regions—Almaty, Zhetysu, Zhambyl, Turkistan, and Kyzylorda—account for 98% of the nation’s annual 12 billion cubic meters of irrigation water use.
The minister cautioned that low soil moisture levels during the pre-vegetation period have led to a 50% increase in water demand by crops, significantly straining irrigation systems and raising the likelihood of water shortages in the coming months.
In the Zhambyl region, although overall reservoir levels are at 90.3%—43 million cubic meters more than the previous year—Teris-Asjibulak and Burkitti reservoirs are reporting below-average levels. Meanwhile, reservoirs in the Turkistan and Kyzylorda regions are currently at 75% capacity.
Minister warns of drought risk and urges collaborative action
Nurzhigitov also warned of potential agricultural challenges in the Zhaiyk and Syrdarya river basins, citing forecasts from Kazakhstan’s National Weather Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, and the North EurAsia Climate Centre predicting limited rainfall in southern and western regions, increasing the risk of drought.
To mitigate the impact, the minister urged regional authorities to collaborate with the Agriculture Ministry, basin administrations, and Kazvodkhoz branches to develop immediate measures. These include implementing water-saving technologies in irrigated farming and shifting toward crops that require less water.
This comes after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev directed the Government and the Samruk-Kazyna Fund to take concrete steps to alleviate water shortages in the Mangistau region.
Source: https://qazinform.com/