Crucial to preserve and restore natural water bodies, Kazakh Deputy PM
Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev addressed the 3rd High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” 2018-2028 held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Kazinform News Agency cites the Government’s press service.
The high-level conference is organized by the Government of Tajikistan. It draws the participation of the representatives of the UN member states, international organizations and civic society.
The Dushanbe water process serves as a platform to propose new solutions to deal with global water problems associated with climate change, common water resources management and development of intergovernmental agreements.
Bozumbayev stressed that Kazakhstan fully supports global initiatives to overcome climate change consequences and Tajikistan’s efforts to attract the attention of the world community to the rational use of water resources.
He said today the country’s water policy aims to update and develop water management infrastructure, improve data systems and normative legal base, and strengthen transborder cooperation. He also stressed the need to develop further strategies for cooperation in Central Asian transborder waters management.
He said the environmental situation in the Aral Sea arouses particular concern. The formation of 5.5 million hectares of deserts harms human health and the state of ecosystems throughout the region.
These challenges, coupled with the growing demand for water, energy and food resources, require decisive measures to ensure rational water use in the Aral Sea basin. In this regard, it is important to preserve and restore natural water bodies by implementing such effective measures as preserving the Kokaral dam and restoring the Syrdarya River delta, the Deputy Prime Minister noted.