Kazakhstan to launch Water Shield project in two regions
The Water Shield project for the Akmola and North Kazakhstan regions includes the construction of the Yesil counter-regulator. Work on the project is scheduled to begin this year, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said at a Government's meeting, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The minister said the need to build the counter-regulator had been discussed for many years, and that work on the project’s design and cost documentation began after the Ministry of Water Resources was established.
“In 2025, the project documentation successfully passed the state review. The cost of constructing the counter-regulator is estimated at 102 billion tenge. To finance the project, we signed a memorandum with the Asian Development Bank, which will provide a loan for the construction, and we plan to begin work this year,” Nurzhigitov said.
The minister explained that during flood periods, a significant volume of water flowing along the Yesil River cannot be retained in the Astana reservoir.
“Further downstream, this volume flows along the Yesil River into the North Kazakhstan region and reaches the Sergeyevskoye reservoir. As this is an overflow-type reservoir, excess water spills over during periods of high water levels and continues downstream. The capacity of the new counter-regulator will be about 870 million cubic meters. We will store floodwater there and then use it during the growing season for agricultural needs and other purposes,” he said.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan will continue upgrading its water supply and sewerage systems through general transfers and borrowed funds under the energy and utilities sector modernization national project.