Kazakhstan, Israel sign memo to foster water cooperation
Kazakhstan’s Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry and Israel’s Regional Cooperation Ministry on Tuesday signed a memorandum of mutual understanding and cooperation, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The document was signed by Kazakh Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov and Israeli Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem.
The Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry said in a statement the memorandum aims at enhancing bilateral ties in the water resources area.
Areas of cooperation include modernization of water management infrastructure, efficient use of water resources, implementation of water-saving technologies and water re-use, exchange of experience in innovation and technology, especially in data collection, management and processing with the use of remote sensing, reads the statement.
The document also provides for an exchange of experience in digitizing water resources accounting and monitoring, as well as in flood and drought risk management, scientific and technical cooperation, and joint training of qualified specialists.
As part of the singing ceremony, the ministers held a bilateral meeting with the participation of Israeli leading companies. The sides discussed cooperation prospects, including implementation of water-saving technologies in agriculture and development of joint programs for training Kazakhstani water management specialists at Israeli enterprises.
Israel has extensive experience in water resources management in difficult climatic conditions and advanced technologies in this field, said Nurzhigitov, adding that Kazakhstan is interested in mutually beneficial and long-term cooperation.
Earlier, it was reported Kazakhstan's Majilis ratified the Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.
