Kazakhstan to upgrade water supply for 200,000 hectares of irrigated land by 2026 end
Kazakhstan continues to reconstruct and modernize more than 4,600 irrigation canals. This year, the country plans to complete works on 962 kilometers, to improve water supply for around 200,000 hectares of irrigated land, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
“In 2024-2025, the reconstruction and modernization of approximately 1,500 kilometers of canals were completed. By the beginning of 2026, work had been completed on 46 joint projects with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Work is underway on another 21 projects. To date, 502 kilometers of canals have been reconstructed, out of the planned 717 kilometers,” the ministry says.
Nine projects are being implemented with the support of the Islamic Development Bank.
“This year, within the framework of the joint project with the IDB “Development of Climate-Resilient Water Resources”, construction and installation work has been launched on 88 projects for the reconstruction of irrigation canals,” the ministry adds.
Southern regions have begun to automate 103 irrigation canals with a total length of 968 kilometers and 65,000 hectares of irrigated land.
"Automation is also underway on 270 canals with a total length of 1,184 kilometers that were previously reconstructed. Design and cost estimates are being prepared for 264 projects to reconstruct irrigation canals, incorporating automation elements and modern water accounting systems. In addition, work is being carried out under the Roadmap for the Modernization of the Satpayev Canal. The project is aimed at the replacement of 19 pumping units and 17 transformers,” Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Zhandos Salimov said.