Water issues need urgent action in Kazakhstan and Central Asia

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM Water issues have become an increasing challenge for Kazakhstan and Central Asia, amplified by climate change. Central to economic growth and human well-being, sustainable water management becomes increasingly urgent, as demand increases, but supply becomes less stable. That was one of the key points in the state-of-the-nation address delivered by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on September 1. More about why we need to address this issue urgently is in the latest article of Kazinform.

In the address, President Tokayev highlighted the lack of water resources as a «serious barrier to the sustainable economic development of the country» and a «matter of national security.»

«The reduction in the external inflow of water is exacerbated by its inefficient use, with losses as high as 40 percent. Other problems in this area include worn-out infrastructure, low levels of automation and digitalization, lack of scientific support, and shortage of personnel. To solve them, it is necessary to intensify the work of the Water Council under the government with the involvement of experts,» he told the plenary session of the Kazakh Parliament on September 1. To address these issues, he instructed the government to develop a three-year project for the development of the water industry.

Water problem globally and in Kazakhstan

Aisha Okusheva, a leading expert at the Economic Research Institute, said the world's population is growing rapidly and the need for clean drinking water is increasing. She cites the forecasts of UNESCO, indicating water consumption will grow by 1 percent every year over the next 30 years. Kazakhstan is a water-dependent country, and the problem of transboundary rivers is therefore very important for the country.

«According to official data, the water resources of Kazakhstan are about 100 cubic kilometers, of which more than 44 percent are formed outside the country, that is, at the expense of the flow of transboundary rivers from China, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. According to the index of dependence on the inflow of transboundary rivers from the territory of neighboring countries, Kazakhstan is on a par with such countries as Israel and Portugal,» said the expert.

Water availability is a challenge for Kazakhstan and many countries worldwide. According to the 2021 United Nations Water Report, at least 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries, accounting for nearly 26 percent of the world’s population, and 733 million of them live in high and critically water-stressed countries. About 4 billion people, representing nearly two-thirds of the global population, experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year.

Okusheva noted the water crisis can lead to negative social and environmental consequences.

«At present, the government is working on a systematic basis to develop cooperation with neighboring countries on water diplomacy and implement measures to minimize water losses during its transportation. Cooperation with neighboring states in transboundary rivers is carried out within the framework of existing agreements on the use and protection of transboundary rivers, and this is one of the priority areas,» she added.

Urgent action on water issues is needed in Central Asia. The five countries of Central Asia - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan - are home to 76 million people, but, according to World Bank, at least 22 million people, which is nearly one-third of the region's population, do not have access to safe water.

Impact of climate change

On top of that, climate change is making water scarcer, wreaking havoc, and displacing millions of people. These numbers will get worse as climate change impact becomes more evident.

World Bank expects warming in Central Asia to exceed global averages, with temperatures rising by an average of 5-6 degrees Celsius by 2100.

«Higher temperatures are already leading to earlier snowmelt, driving water demand higher, shifting peak runoff into spring, and reducing irrigation season flows. Modeling suggests that by around 2050, the region will experience peak water, after which flows will decline markedly. Both flood and drought extremes will increase, as will overall water stress,» said the World Bank.

The Tien Shan, Hindu Kush, Wakhan, and Pamir mountains' melting snow and glaciers, which feed the runoff into the Aral Sea Basin, account for most of the region's water resources.

«For Kazakhstan, which is dependent on transboundary flows and uneven distribution of water resources in the country, global warming threatens an acute shortage of water. As temperatures rise and are under the influence of anthropogenic factors, glaciers have been rapidly degrading over the last 50 years. According to the data of specialists, the average annual river flow in the 2000s was 120 cubic kilometers, but now the figure is approximately 102 cubic kilometers. The deficit of water resources in Kazakhstan by 2030 may amount to 23 cubic kilometers, which is comparable to annual consumption by the population,» said Yersultan Zhanseitov, an expert at the Institute of World Economics and Politics.

He said it is not the first time that President Tokayev raises this topic. He spoke about the need to address transboundary rivers during the fourth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia in Cholpon-Ata in July 2022. He then proposed establishing a Central Asian project office for environmental protection and implementing a coordinated regional climate change policy.

Zhanseitov expects water issues will also be on the agenda of the meetings as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Kazakhstan on Sept. 14. Two of Kazakhstan's largest rivers, the Ili and the Irtysh, originate in China.

Need for qualified specialists in the sector

«The most important task in this area is accounting, analysis, and effective use with minimization of losses of available water resources in the country. Another direction of work is to increase international cooperation, scientific work, and training of qualified personnel,» said the expert.

Okusheva agrees with Zhanseitov on the urgent need for professionals in the water sector. She noted there is also no system of retraining and advanced training.

At the Water Council meeting on September 9 chaired by Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov, Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Serikkali Brekeshev said the ministry plans to strengthen the Kazakh Scientific and Research Institute of Water Economy and determine it as a sectoral scientific center for water resources problems, as well as determine a basic university for the training of in-demand specialists in the water sector.

The new plan for the water industry is expected to be submitted to the government for consideration in November.

Written by Assel Satubaldina