A meeting of the Water Council chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov reviewed progress on the modernization of Kazakhstan's water sector, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Government. The council reviewed reports from Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov and akims of Akmola, Almaty, East Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, West Kazakhstan, and North Kazakhstan regions on the implementation of the President's directives to modernize the water sector, build new reservoirs and introduce advanced water-saving technologies.
The rollout of the National Water Resources Information System was also discussed. Ahead of the professional holiday for water sector workers, Bektenov congratulated industry employees and highlighted the strategic importance of their work for the sustainable development of regions, agriculture, industry and public well-being.
"The Water Resources Management Development Concept and the Comprehensive Water Sector Development Plan include 160 measures with total funding of 3.2 trillion tenge," the Government said. Nurzhigitov reported that five reservoirs in the Aktobe, Turkistan, West Kazakhstan, Abai, and Zhetysu regions were reconstructed in 2024–2025.
Around 1,500 kilometers of canals were repaired and modernized, while 22 drinking water supply construction and reconstruction projects were completed, improving access for about one million people. By the end of 2025, the area covered by water-saving technologies in agriculture had expanded nearly fivefold to about 550,000 hectares, helping save around 880 million cubic meters of irrigation water.
The figure is expected to reach 1.3 million hectares by 2030. According to the Government, ongoing projects include the construction and reconstruction of reservoirs, the modernization of 14,500 kilometers of irrigation canals — at least 3,500 kilometers of which will be digitized — along with the expansion of water-saving technologies, further digitalization of the sector and workforce development.
Around 1,000 kilometers of canals are scheduled to come online in 2026, improving water supply for approximately 200,000 hectares of irrigated land. The completion of 12 drinking water supply projects will also expand access to quality drinking water for more than 500,000 people living in 142 rural communities.
The Government said it is strengthening the sector's workforce by expanding the network of educational institutions training water specialists and increasing the number of state-funded scholarships. Since 2023, 1,652 scholarships have been awarded, with another 1,000 planned for the next academic year.
Over the past two and a half years, the average salary of Kazvodkhoz employees has more than doubled. Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry had outlined the timeline for the launch of new gas infrastructure and processing projects.